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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26083312">Dimension Hoppers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomgurl77/pseuds/fandomgurl77'>fandomgurl77</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja, The Greatest Showman(2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>:), ;), Caught red handed, Christmas, Circus, Death, Dreams, Embarrassment, F/M, Flashback, Funny, Memories, Multi, Ouch, Period-Typical Attitudes, Period-Typical Racism, Questions, Time Travel, Train journey, Violence, Well almost, What's That?, Why me?, and W.D, anyway enjoy, aww how cute, bad memories, brrr its cold, gotcha!, i wrote this a looooong time back, inter-dimesional travel, nudge nudge wink wink, ok not funny but still, phillip and anne make plans for the future, poor anne too, poor phillip, references to slavery, what's this?, woohoo!!, yay!, yeah!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:13:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26083312</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomgurl77/pseuds/fandomgurl77</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After defeating the Sorcerer and Sorceress, Randy and Howard, together with Julian and Bucky, go on an incredible adventure to the Greatest Showman universe.</p><p>Meanwhile, Phillip and Anne travel to the RC:9GN universe as well.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>P.T Barnum &amp; Phillip Carlyle, Phillip Carlyle &amp; Randy Cunningham, Phillip Carlyle/Anne Wheeler, Randy Cunningham &amp; Howard Weinerman, Randy Cunningham &amp; Julian, Randy Cunningham &amp; Lettie Lutz, W.D Wheeler &amp; Anne Wheeler</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in Norrisville; the Sorcerer and the Sorceress had been defeated during the week.</p><p> </p><p>‘Bravo, Randall!’ Julian said, ‘You’ve finally defeated those lizard-like creeps who were interfering with our lives every day.’</p><p>‘All in a day’s…or should I say, weeks, work’, Randy said.</p><p>‘Um, Randy’, Howard said, ‘Doesn’t this mean that the Nomicon and mask need to be put on display in the museum for everyone to see?’</p><p>‘Yes’, Randy said disappointedly, ‘I suppose I better go and hand it in.’</p><p> </p><p>However, just as he was about to do this, the Nomicon magically opened and shloomped him in, causing his body to fall backwards onto the ground.</p><p>‘Randall!’ Julian said before he rushed over to him.</p><p>‘Julian’, Howard said, ‘If you get too close you will be…’</p><p>‘Oh my…’ Julian said a few seconds later before he collapsed and was shloomped into the book.</p><p>‘Wow!’ Julian said when he stood up on the inside, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before!’</p><p>Suddenly, Finja walked out of a large, five-storey pagoda and began talking to Randy.</p><p>‘Sup, Finja’, Randy said, ‘Long time, no see.’</p><p>‘Pleased to see you too, Randy’, Finja said, ‘Congratulations on defeating the Sorcerer and Sorceress!’</p><p>‘No problem’, Randy said, ‘I was just going to hand the book and mask into the museum.’</p><p>‘Just before you do that, I want to give you something’, Finja said when he handed Randy a red and black stone.</p><p>‘What’s this?’ Randy asked.</p><p>‘You will continue to be the Ninja for the rest of your life’, Finja replied, ‘However, with this stone, you’ll be able to travel to another dimension that is very different from ours.’</p><p>‘Dimension hopping?’ Randy said, ‘So bruce!’</p><p>‘Oooohhhh’, Julian said, ‘A dimension <em>un</em>like ours….how mysteriousish! Tell us more.’</p><p>‘Well, I’ve never used the stone myself’, Finja said, ‘Who knows where you will end up…’</p><p>‘Anyway’, Randy said, ‘Thanks for the stone.’</p><p>‘My pleasure’, Finja said just before Randy and Julian were vloomped out, ‘Goodbye!’</p><p> </p><p>‘So, what did the Nomicon have to say?’ Howard asked.</p><p>‘Finja congratulated me for defeating the Sorcerer and Sorceress by allowing me to keep the book and mask for as long as I live…and by giving me this stone that allows me to travel to another dimension.’</p><p>‘I <em>have </em>to see this!’ Howard said.</p><p>‘Ok’, Randy said as he rubbed the front of the stone, causing a portal to appear.</p><p>‘Ready to go?’ he asked.</p><p>‘Yes!’ Howard and Julian replied.</p><p>‘Luckily, I said that I may not be around much this summer to Theresa yesterday’, Randy said before they all stepped into the portal and vanished.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>‘Does anyone know where we are?’ Howard asked when they stepped out of the other end of the portal before it vanished.</p><p>‘No, but Finja was right about it being very different to our dimension’, Randy said, ‘It looks like we’re in the 19<sup>th</sup> century, going by the clothes people are wearing.’</p><p>‘Not to mention everything is in 3D, including us’, Howard said.</p><p>‘Also, the guys here are wearing the same type of suit and hat as me’, Julian said.</p><p>Anyway’, Randy said, ‘Let’s go to that big tent over there!’ Howard said as they raced over.</p><p>‘Hm…’ Randy said, ‘Juggo would have liked to come here with us, I believe.’</p><p>‘What do you mean?’ Howard asked.</p><p>‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Randy asked.</p><p>‘Uh…yes it is. Wait, no it’s not. Actually, it is’, Howard said.</p><p>‘Anyway’, Randy said before he walked behind a tree, ‘I’ll just go and put the mask on…’</p><p> </p><p>However, as soon as he returned, people began swarming around him.</p><p>‘Hey look!’ a voice said, ‘It’s the Norrisville Ninja!’</p><p>‘I want an autograph!’ a child’s voice said.</p><p>‘How’s life in Norrisville?’ another voice asked.</p><p>‘Enough!’ a voice shouted from near the tent, ‘What’s going on here?’</p><p>‘Sorry’, Randy said, ‘It is me.’</p><p>‘You’re the…Norrisville Ninja’, the voice said.</p><p>‘Yes, of course I am’, Randy said, ‘Who are you?’</p><p>‘Name’s Phillip Carlyle’, the voice said, ‘I’m the ringmaster of the circus behind me.’</p><p>‘You mean…that big tent is what we think it is?’ Randy, Howard and Julian asked.</p><p>‘Well, yes, it is’, Phillip replied.</p><p> </p><p>It was then that Howard realised something.</p><p>‘Sorry, Phillip’, he said, ‘I have forgotten what your job is in there. Can you please tell me again?’</p><p>‘Sure’, Phillip said, ‘I am the ringmaster.’</p><p>Upon hearing his response, Howard couldn’t help laughing.</p><p>‘Ha! Ringmaster! That’s hilarious’, he said.</p><p>‘Um…what’s so funny?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘Uh…I don’t know’, Randy and Julian said in unison.</p><p>‘Well, it’s far from funny’, Phillip said, ‘It’s a very serious job that involves organising and taking the lead in shows. Without me, the circus wouldn’t exist.’</p><p>‘Are you saying…that there would be utter chaos without you?’ Randy asked.</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip replied.</p><p>‘I know what you mean’, Randy said, ‘In Norrisville, people became stanked by a green or pink mist whenever there was sadness or anxiety and I was responsible to turn everything back to normal.’</p><p>‘I see’, Phillip said.</p><p> </p><p>‘Phillip!’ a female voice shouted before the owner came running over.</p><p>‘Anne!’ Phillip said as they hugged each other, much to the disdain of passers-by.’</p><p>‘Oh no’, Anne said disappointedly, ‘It’s happening again!’</p><p>‘Don’t worry about them, baby’, Phillip said, ‘They just don’t know the truth about us.’</p><p>‘Sorry to bother you two’, Randy said, ‘But who is this girl?’</p><p>‘This is Anne Wheeler’, Phillip said, ‘She’s a trapeze artist…and also my…uh…I don’t know.’</p><p>‘Oh, you’, Anne said, ‘We are in love.’</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, an ugly, fat man wearing a beige-colour cap and outfit shouted a racial insult from across the road before he walked over.</p><p>‘Not this twit again!’ Phillip said, ‘Anne, stay back. I’ll take care of this.’</p><p>‘Phillip Carlyle, just the man I wanted to see’, the street thug said, ‘I can’t believe you survived being severely burned in the fire that destroyed your building.’</p><p>‘Well, let’s just say that I was rescued just in time’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘I’d personally call <em>him </em>a complete flopdoodle for even running in to the collapsing building to drag you out!’ the thug said. ‘He should have let you burn to death!’</p><p>‘You <strong><em>can’t</em></strong> call P.T that!’ Phillip said in a slightly angry voice, ‘He saved my life!’</p><p>‘He saved my life’, the thug said mockingly before he walked over to Anne.</p><p>‘I see you’re still with this tart’, he said as he grabbed her arm, ‘Well, I have some important business to attend to.’</p><p>‘Let go of me!’ Anne screamed as he dragged her towards the trees.</p><p>‘Shut your face, you stupid old sp…’ the thug began.</p><p>Before he could complete the sentence, Anne stood on his foot as hard as she could, causing him to let go and yelp with pain.</p><p>‘Anne!’ Phillip said, ‘Come over here, baby!’</p><p> </p><p>‘Boo!’ the thug shouted behind him, nearly causing him to fall over in shock.</p><p>‘Ha!’ he said, ‘You aren’t even brave enough to not almost fall over whenever there’s a sudden noise. Talk about, “The world’s most cowardly ringmaster”.’</p><p>As soon as he had said this, he punched Phillip in the face, knocking him out cold.</p><p>‘You’re next’, he said before he stormed toward Anne.</p><p>‘Please’, Anne pleaded, ‘Take all my possessions, even if you have to ransack the tent, but please, just please, spare my life!’</p><p>‘It’s too late for your inter-racial relationship’, the thug said with an evil grin as Phillip was bleeding badly from his nose, ‘I’m utterly sick and tired of you s…’</p><p>‘Go on, say it, I don’t care’, Anne said.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Suddenly a green mist enveloped Phillip, transforming him into a giant ring-tailed lemur with yellow eyes.</p><p>‘AAAAAHHHH!’ Anne and the thug screamed in terror as he charged towards them.</p><p>‘Let go of her, you pathetic sad-act!’ Phillip shouted in the thug’s face.</p><p>‘Ok, ok’, he said in fear, ‘Just don’t hurt me.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Smokebomb!’ the Ninja (Randy) said as he appeared in a puff of red smoke, ‘It’s de-stankin’ time!’</p><p>‘Ninja-baton-grab!’ he said as he jumped over Phillip’s back and grabbed the black baton. before landing on the ground and doing a forward roll.</p><p>‘Ninja-slice!’ he said as he cut the baton in half with his sword, causing Phillip to return to normal.</p><p> </p><p>During the chaos that had just passed, the thug had run away like a coward.</p><p> </p><p>‘Where’s Anne?’ Phillip asked when he noticed she was gone.</p><p>‘Um…’ Randy replied, ‘I saw her run towards the trees when you became stanked.’</p><p>‘No, no’, Phillip said, ‘You’ve got it all wrong. I was knocked unconscious, not stanked.’</p><p>‘Don’t worry’, Randy said, ‘It’s the stank-nesia that makes you not remember anything. Anyway, let’s go to find…you know who.’</p><p>‘Yes, of course’, Phillip said dreamily.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>‘Anne!’ Phillip shouted as he and Randy walked amongst the trees, ‘Where are you?’</p><p>‘Maybe she’s behind these thick vines’, Randy said before he cut them away with his sword, revealing Julian hanging upside-down on a branch.</p><p>‘AAAHHH! he said in shock, as he was not expecting him to be there at all.</p><p>‘Greetings, Randall. This place is so cool and quiet, like a graveyard, isn’t it?’ Julian said, finishing the sentence with a creepy giggle before he fell to the ground.</p><p>‘Ouch!’ he said with a quiet voice.</p><p>‘Well, since you’ve come to your senses, Julian’, Randy said, ‘You can help us search for Anne.</p><p>‘Guys, I think I found her’, Phillip said before he ran over to a figure in a tree.</p><p>‘Finally!’ Randy and Julian said as they ran over.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Anne was shaking with fear in the tree.</p><p>‘Don’t be scared, Anne’, Phillip said, ‘The danger is gone now, thanks to the Ninja.’</p><p>In response, Anne jumped down from the tree and burst into tears.</p><p>‘Look here, baby’, Phillip said, ‘Everything’s going to be ok. Why don’t’ we go back to the tent?’</p><p>‘Ok’, Anne said.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At 7:00 a.m. the next day, Phillip noticed Randy hiding something under his pillow.</p><p>‘What’s that glow?’ he asked wearily.</p><p>‘Oh’, Randy said, ‘It’s nothing, I swear.’</p><p>‘Come on’, I saw something being hidden under the pillow’, Phillip said, ‘I’m the ringmaster and I know when someone isn’t telling the truth.’</p><p>‘Ha! Ringmaster!’ Howard shouted from down the hall in a fit of laughter.</p><p>‘Ok, Howard, we all know that “ringmaster” is an absolutely hilarious job description’, Phillip said when he rolled his eyes, ‘Anyway, Randy, it’s time to take whatever you hid under the pillow out.’</p><p>‘Ok then, if you say so’, Randy said reluctantly as he took his smartphone out.</p><p>‘What is this thing?’ Phillip said in awe as he held it, ‘I’ve never seen anything like it’.</p><p>‘What’s going on in here?’ Lettie asked as she walked into the room.</p><p>‘It’s this’, Phillip replied when he showed her the smartphone, ‘The Ninja had it under his pillow.’</p><p>‘Amazing!’ Lettie said, ‘It’s glowing slate!’</p><p>Suddenly, the alarm on the smartphone went off, causing them to jump.</p><p>‘Whoa!’ Phillip said, ‘It’s a piece of slate and a gramophone in one!’</p><p>‘Um…I don’t see a spinning record or needle’, Lettie said.</p><p>‘Ok, guys’, Randy said as he touched a red circle on the screen, which caused the noise to cease, ‘There, it’s off.’</p><p>It was then that the battery went flat, causing the smartphone to shut down.</p><p>‘Oops’, Randy said before he took it from them, ‘The battery’s gone flat.’</p><p>‘Battery?’ Phillip and Lettie asked with confused expressions and voices, ‘What’s that?’</p><p>‘A battery is an electrical device that stores power for portable devices such as phones’, Randy replied.</p><p>‘So, that thing essentially runs off lightning that is trapped in a container’, Phillip and Lettie said.</p><p>‘I suppose you could say that’, Randy said before he walked outside to charge the battery via a solar charger he had purchased at the supermarket back home.</p><p>‘What the heck are you doing out here?’ Anne asked when she approached Randy.</p><p>‘I’m charging the battery in my smartphone’, Randy replied.</p><p>‘Are you crazy?’ Anne said, ‘You can’t do that to a piece of slate.’</p><p>‘It’s not slate’, Randy said, ‘It’s a smartphone.’</p><p>‘What’s that?’ Anne asked.</p><p>‘A smartphone is a portable device that allows you to play games, take photos, play music, and send messages to people anywhere in the world’, Randy replied.</p><p>‘Let me get this straight’, Anne said, ‘You’re saying that this thing is a camera, a gramophone and a telegraph in one?’</p><p>‘Uh…’ Randy said with a confused voice, since he did not know what a telegraph or gramophone was, ‘I suppose so.’</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>A few seconds later, Phillip and Howard approached the two of them.</p><p>‘Guys’, Randy said just as he put his smartphone away, ‘I managed to persuade Bucky to join us.’</p><p>‘Good morning, everyone’, Bucky said before he noticed Phillip, ‘What’s with the wacky outfit?’</p><p>‘Not again!’ Phillip said when he facepalmed, ‘This outfit lets everyone know that I am the…’</p><p>‘Here we go again’, Howard thought before he ran towards the trees, but stayed within hearing range.</p><p>‘…uh…boss in there’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘Aww man!’ Howard thought, ‘So honking close!’</p><p>‘You’re the what?’ Bucky said, ‘Can you please explain more?’</p><p>‘Fine’, Phillip said before he looked around to make sure that Howard wasn’t anywhere nearby, ‘I’m the…ringmaster.’</p><p>A second later, there was laughter coming from the trees.</p><p>‘I know you’re there, Howard’, Phillip said, ‘Please come and join us.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Howard said as he walked over while laughing, ‘You’re so hilarious!’</p><p>‘I still don’t know why you find “ringmaster” funny’, Phillip said.</p><p>Howard then fell over backwards while laughing loudly.</p><p>‘HA! RINGMASTER!’ he laughed, ‘This whole place is just hysterical!’</p><p>‘Ok’, Bucky said, ‘I don’t think we need to be “clowning” around anymore. Zing!’</p><p>‘That was terrible’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘I was just saying that life isn’t always a circus’, Bucky said, ‘It’s in-‘tents’ enough as it is. Double zing!’</p><p>‘They’re the weakest puns I’ve ever heard’, Phillip said, ‘Even I could never have “canvased” any of them.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘But at least my and my brother’s act is a “swinging” success.’</p><p>‘Of course’, Phillip said, ‘You two always seem to “trapeze” the audience.’</p><p>‘Right’, Anne said, ‘It’s a “high-flying” game. No “hoopla” involved.’</p><p>‘Not to mention you have the audience “flying around in circles”’, Phillip said, ‘At least I do.’</p><p>‘That’s because it’s a “high” stakes act’, Anne said, ‘And your job involves “walking around in circles” as well.’</p><p>‘At least I “throw myself into the ring” when necessary’, Phillip said,</p><p>‘Ok’, Bucky said, “We have seen enough “circus acts” for one day, I think.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Anne said, ‘I feel like it’s time to “come down to Earth” as well.’</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>At 11:30 that night, while everyone was in bed, Phillip was tying the ropes into knots for the next day.</p><p>‘There, all done’, he thought as he walked out of the ring and up the hall, ‘Time to go to bed.’</p><p>‘However, he stopped outside Anne’s door and quietly knocked it.</p><p>‘Anne?’ he whispered, ‘Anne…are you awake?’</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, W.D. was walking back down the hall when he saw a figure at the door.</p><p>‘Better go and have a look at what’s going on here’, he thought as he sneaked up behind Phillip.</p><p>‘Anne?’ Phillip whispered at the door.</p><p>‘AHA!’ W.D. said suddenly, causing Phillip to jump.</p><p>‘AAAHHH!’ he shrieked, waking everyone up in the process, ‘What the heck are you doing here, W.D.?’</p><p>‘I was about to ask the same thing’, W.D said.</p><p>‘What the heck is going on?’ Lettie asked as she burst out of her room, ‘Is the tent on fire?’</p><p>‘No, thank goodness’, W.D. replied, ‘I just caught Phillip trying to get in to our room.’</p><p>‘I cannot believe this!’ Lettie said, ‘You know better than this, Phillip!’</p><p>‘I can explain…’ Phillip said, ‘It was all a misunderstanding.’</p><p>‘Yeah right’, W.D. said, ‘I know what your goal was…and it’s a good thing I stopped you.’</p><p>‘W.D.’s right’, Lettie said, ‘What if he hadn’t been able to? It could have been highly embarrassing. I mean, imagine what could have happened then.’</p><p>‘I am…’ Phillip said dreamily while blushing.</p><p> </p><p>‘Ok’, W.D said, ‘I think we’ve seen enough action for one night.’</p><p>‘Yes, while I have seen none at all’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘Right then’, W.D said, ‘It’s time to go to bed. And don’t you <strong>dare </strong>think of sneaking in here again, Phillip!’ I can hear everything that is going on in the hall.’</p><p>‘All right then’, Phillip said disappointedly before he walked away, ‘Goodnight, everyone.’</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>At 9:20 a.m., Randy was talking to Howard, Julian and Bucky.</p><p>‘Did you hear the commotion last night?’ he asked.</p><p>‘Oh yes’, Julian replied, ‘There was shouting in the hall.’</p><p>‘Oh my Ninja, did I ever’, Howard said, ‘I nearly fell out of bed in shock.’</p><p>‘Me too’, Bucky said.</p><p>‘Well, I heard through the door that it was about Phillip trying to sneak into Anne’s room.’</p><p>‘Ooohhh’, Julian said, ‘No wonder there was shouting then. <em>Anything</em> could have happened in there otherwise.’</p><p> </p><p>‘What are you guys talking about?’ Phillip asked as he and Anne approached them.</p><p>‘Oh, we were just talking about l…’ Randy began before being cut off by Howard.</p><p>‘Cunningham…’ he said in a soft voice.</p><p>‘It was about last night, wasn’t it’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘What the…?’ Randy asked, ‘How did you guess?’</p><p>‘I <em>knew </em>you were going to speak about it among yourselves’, Phillip replied, ‘Truth be told, I couldn’t resist the temptation…’</p><p>‘What temptation?’ Randy asked, although he already knew.</p><p>‘Well, since everyone was asleep and it was near pitch black except for a lantern in the middle of the hall, I decided to check if Anne was still awake by lightly knocking on her door.’</p><p>‘And that’s when I heard you scream’, Randy said.</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip said, ‘Her brother, W.D., shouted “AHA!” in my ear, causing me to jump and scream in shock, which was when everyone woke up and accused me of trying to sneak into the room.’</p><p>‘What?’ Anne asked, ‘You wanted me to let you in?’</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip admitted, ‘If your brother hadn’t interrupted me in the first place, we would have been in there…alone…on a cold and lonely night.’</p><p>Anne stared at Phillip blankly for a few seconds in response to what he had just said.</p><p>‘I’ll be in the ring rehearsing for tonight’s show’, she said before she walked away briskly.</p><p>‘So’, Randy said, ‘What are you going to do?’</p><p>‘Uh…well…about that…let’s just say I have some important errands to run’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘Like what?’ Randy asked.</p><p>‘I need to go and…proofread some advertisements before they are put up around town’, Phillip replied before he walked away, ‘Don’t disturb me; it’s very important work.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>‘</strong>Anne’, Randy said after the show that night, ‘Someone in the audience wanted to give you this doll here, but were supposedly too nervous to approach you, so I offered to do it for them.’</p><p>‘It’s very unusual if not heard of for me to receive a gift or even gratitude from members of the public’, Anne said when she took the doll from Randy’s hand, ‘Anyway, I thank both them and you for this moment.’</p><p>‘No problem’, Randy said.</p><p> </p><p>A few seconds later, Anne noticed some tiny words stitched with green thread on the back of the doll’s head.</p><p>‘Hm…’ she thought, ‘What does this say?’</p><p>Upon closer inspection, she was horrified to discover that the words read, ‘Hand-crafted in South Carolina’.</p><p>‘Um, I…I must go now’, she said with tears in her eyes as she gave the doll back to Randy and ran up the hall.</p><p>‘Anne, wait!’ Randy said as he ran after her.</p><p> </p><p>‘What’s wrong, Anne?’ he said as he approached her.</p><p>‘That doll is not a gift!’ Anne replied, ‘It’s absolute torture!’</p><p>‘Why is that?’ Randy asked.</p><p>‘Fine’, Anne replied, ‘Come into my room and I’ll tell you.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Randy said as he followed her.</p><p> </p><p>‘You see, my and W.D’s mother, Ethel, worked on a farm in South Carolina against her will’, Anne said before she closed the door, ‘Her boss was a wealthy snob of a man named Frederick O’Brien, who forced her to work long hours every day with no pay. Anyway, one day, she was planting seeds in the garden behind the house when she met Frederick’s son, Fred Jr. and instantly fell in love. However, they had to keep their relationship secret because of the backlash from the public and Mr, O’Brien; they continued meeting up every day when Mr. O’Brien wasn’t home until October 17<sup>th</sup>, 1842, when I was born.’</p><p>‘So that’s how you came to be’, Randy said, ‘Now, why were you so upset earlier? Did something happen to them?’</p><p>‘Let’s cut forward a day short of five years from then, to the 16<sup>th</sup> October 1847’, Anne said, ‘I was talking with Fred Jr., my father, while Ethel and W.D. were out feeding the pigs.</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” I asked, “You can get us out of here?”</p><p>“Yes”, my father replied before he pointed to a train speeding down the tracks outside the big front gates, “I want my daughter and the rest of you to be free to live life how you want.”</p><p>“But what about your father?” I asked, “What if he catches us or finds out about the plan?”</p><p>“Don’t worry about him”, my father replied, “We’ll leave under the cover of darkness, tomorrow night.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey!” a loud, booming voice shouted from in front of the large, oak doors at the front of the house, “You’re not talking with the workers, are you, son?”</p><p>“No, Dad”, my father said, “I was just briefing her of her afternoon duties.”</p><p> </p><p>It was then I pretended to walk away to work in the garden, even if I stood against the wall.</p><p> </p><p>“Good”, Mr. O’Brien said before he walked inside.</p><p> </p><p>Late the next night, my father managed to sneak out of the house, walked over to us and picked the locks on the cages where me and W.D were kept and the chains around Ethel’s arms and legs.</p><p>“Right”, he whispered, “Let’s go!”</p><p>“Where are we going?” Ethel and W.D. asked.</p><p>“We’re going down the road of freedom”, my father replied as we walked down the long driveway towards the railroad tracks.</p><p> </p><p>After fifteen long minutes of standing beside the tracks, my father spotted a familiar bright light speeding towards us.</p><p>“Ok, you three”, he said, “Go and hide amongst the bushes beside the tracks.”</p><p>‘Ok”, we said as we made ourselves invisible while he threw a small rock at a window on one of the, thankfully empty, carriages, causing the train to stop.</p><p> </p><p>“I heard a window shatter”, the train driver said when he walked up to my father, “Did you see anything suspicious?”</p><p>“No”, he said while I and W.D. climbed into a boxcar, “A rock must have been flicked up by the wheels.”</p><p>“Well, if you say so”, the driver said before he climbed back into the cab of the engine.</p><p> </p><p>That’s when…it happened’, Anne sobbed, ‘Our lives were changed…forever.’</p><p>‘How come?’ Phillip asked when he closed the door.</p><p>‘Just before the train left, two scary-looking men on horses turned up, so I and W.D. hid behind a box’, Anne sobbed, ‘The next thing I heard was a mixture of yelling and screaming, followed by a series of gunshots.</p><p> </p><p>“Mother!” we cried out after the two men had ridden away.</p><p>“Father!” I screamed in horror when I saw him lying on the ground, motionless.</p><p>“I think we might be on our own now, sis”, W.D. said with tears in his eyes.</p><p>“I think you’re right”, I sobbed as the two side doors on the car were closed.</p><p> </p><p>Over the years since that tragic night, we practiced trapeze to heal the pain of losing our parents, which is how we ended up here’, Anne sobbed, “Last time I heard of Mr. O’Brien, he had purchased another three workers to replace us, like we had never existed; he even didn’t care about his own son who had been murdered.’</p><p> </p><p>‘I cannot believe this!’ Phillip said, ‘Why were your parents murdered?’</p><p>‘Well, you’ll find this absolutely appalling, but I believe it was because…it was an inter-racial relationship, like ours’, Anne sobbed.</p><p>‘So that’s why you refused me at the beginning’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘I just don’t want us to become like them.’</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The following day was the start of the weekend.</p><p>‘Guys’, Randy said at 10:00 a.m., ‘I’ve got something to show you.’</p><p>‘What is it?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘Since today and tomorrow are the weekend, how’s about coming with me to Norrisville?’ Randy asked.</p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip replied, ‘But that will take a few days by carriage or train.’</p><p>‘I have a faster way to get there’, Randy said as he took out the red and black stone and rubbed it, ‘We’ll go through this portal.’</p><p>‘Let’s go!’ Phillip said as he, Randy, Howard, Julian, Bucky and Anne walked through the portal.</p><p> </p><p>‘This place is amazing!’ Phillip said in awe as he marvelled at the sight of tall skyscrapers.</p><p>‘Not to mention we are now in 2D cartoon form’, Anne said.</p><p>‘So are we, again’, Randy, Howard, Julian and Bucky said.</p><p> </p><p>‘There you are, Julian!’ a voice shouted as a red-and-white clad figure ran towards them.</p><p>‘Ah, Juggo’, Julian said, ‘Sorry I missed your birthday party yesterday.’</p><p>‘You had promised to get me an “amazing, out of this world” gift’, Juggo said.</p><p>‘About that…’ Julian said, ‘I think I might just have that gift for you with me today.’</p><p>‘Where and what is it then?’ Juggo asked.</p><p>‘It’s not a “what” or “it”, but rather “who” and “they”’, Julian replied before finishing the sentence with his signature giggle, ‘Meet Phillip and Anne.’</p><p>‘Pleased to meet you both’, Juggo said, ‘I’m Juggo.’</p><p>‘Us too’, Phillip and Anne said, ‘Norrisville is amazing!’</p><p>‘I wouldn’t say that’, Juggo said, ‘It’s only 2018.’</p><p>‘You mean that we have travelled through time?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘Well, going by the clothes you are wearing, then probably’, Juggo replied, ‘However, going by Julian’s outfit, I can’t say for certain.’</p><p>‘Well, it just so happens that you are correct about us travelling through time’, Phillip said, ‘We’ve come here from 1871.’</p><p> </p><p>It was then that Juggo noticed something.</p><p>‘Phillip’, he said, ‘I’ve just noticed your outfit. You couldn’t be a…’</p><p>‘Be a what?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘No, that would be absolutely ridiculous’, Juggo replied.</p><p>‘What would have been ridiculous?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘Oh’, Juggo replied, ‘For a moment there, I was thinking that your suit was a…ringmaster’s coat.’</p><p>In response to what Juggo had just said, Howard fell over backwards.</p><p>‘Ha! Ringmaster!’ he laughed.</p><p>‘Ok, Howard’, Phillip said, ‘Once again, we know that the “r” word is absolutely hilarious. Anyway, Juggo, your assumption is correct.’</p><p>‘Oh my, I’ve met a real-life ringmaster’, Juggo said excitedly, ‘I can’t believe it!’</p><p>‘In that case’, Anne said, ‘You would be thrilled to know that I’m a trapeze artist.’</p><p>‘Oh my Ninja…’ Juggo said before he fainted.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>‘Juggo?’ Randy asked in the back of the ambulance, ‘Are you ok?’</p><p>‘Uh…’ Juggo said when he opened his eyes, ‘What happened?’</p><p>‘You fainted after you found out who Phillip and Anne are’, Randy said.</p><p>‘Good, he’s awake’, the paramedic said, ‘Just keep an eye on him for the rest of the day and he should be fine by tomorrow.’</p><p>‘Thanks’, Randy said as he and Juggo walked out of the ambulance before it drove away.</p><p> </p><p>‘How did that ambulance move?’ Phillip said, ‘It had no horses pulling it.’</p><p>‘That’s because vehicles other than trains can move under their own power nowadays’, Randy said.</p><p>‘How come there was no steam visible then?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘Modern engines run on different fuel types, most commonly gasoline or diesel’, Randy replied, ‘Increasingly, more vehicles are using electricity. A few still use steam or are pulled by horses, but mainly for parades and historical events.’</p><p>‘I see’, Phillip said.</p><p> </p><p>The next day, Randy, Phillip and Anne were at the supermarket looking for Randy’s favourite brand of chocolate.</p><p>‘Ah, here they are’, Randy said as he picked a bag of “Choco O’s” up, ‘Let’ go to the checkout!’</p><p>‘Right behind you’, Phillip and Anne said.</p><p> </p><p>‘Hm…’ Randy said when they arrived at the checkout area, which was packed with shoppers with baskets and trolleys queuing, ‘I think I’ll use a self-checkout today.’</p><p> </p><p>‘How will you pay for those if there’s no-one to give your money to?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘Just watch what I do and find out’, Randy replied as he scanned the barcode on the bag with the scanner and swiped his card to pay.</p><p>‘Wait a minute’, Anne said, ‘You used a playing card to pay?’</p><p>‘It’s a bank card with money loaded onto it’, Randy said as they walked out the front doors, ‘Let’ go back home to my house!’</p><p> </p><p>‘Hey’, Phillip said as they passed the local bar, ‘I’ll just go and get a drink.’</p><p>‘Phillip, we’ve been over this time and time again’, Anne said, ‘You need to stay away from alcohol.’</p><p>‘One small one won’t hurt though’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘The doctor said to never drink again, after what happened last time’, Anne said, ‘You don’t want to embarrass yourself again, do you.’</p><p>‘No, I suppose you’re right’, Phillip said, ‘Falling off the table ruined the night for everyone…especially me.’</p><p>‘Not to mention you looked like a complete fool trying to dance’, Anne said, ‘I shook my head in shame when I saw what you were doing.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘Hey’, Randy said, ‘How’s about we cut through the park?’</p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip and Anne said as they followed him.</p><p> </p><p>Halfway through the park, Anne noticed something unusual.</p><p>‘Randy’, she said, ‘I have noticed that people aren’t looking or jeering at us like they do back home.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Randy said, ‘Social norms around that have changed completely since 1871, to the point where it is completely acceptable to be seen together in public.’</p><p>‘Really?’ Anne said, ‘I never thought the day would come when it would be accepted.’</p><p> </p><p>A few minutes later, they were greeted by Howard, Julian and Juggo in the living room of Randy’s house.</p><p>‘Finally’, Howard said when he showed Randy the time on his phone, ‘What took you so long?’</p><p>‘Sorry’, Randy said, ‘We had a stroll through the park on the way home.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Anyway, the savouries are ready’, Julian said as he opened the oven door and put the tray on the bench, ‘Can someone help with this, please?’</p><p>‘I’ll go over and help him’, Anne said.</p><p>‘No, no’, Phillip said, ‘You sit yourself down, and I’ll bring them over.’</p><p>‘Ok, if you say so’, Anne said.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>‘What’s on T.V.?’ Randy thought when he turned it on via the remote.</p><p>‘Goodness me, that’s booming loud!’ Phillip and Anne said in unison when they covered their ears.</p><p>‘Sorry’, Randy said as he turned the volume down to a comfortable level, ‘You can uncover your ears now.’</p><p>‘Ok, ok’, Phillip said, ‘You don’t have to shout your head off.’</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, a music video came on for a song called “This is me.”</p><p>‘Oh my…’ Anne said, ‘That’s Lettie singing!’</p><p>‘Not to mention all of you are singing also’, Phillip said to her.</p><p>‘How is this possible?’ Anne thought just as the song ended.</p><p> </p><p>‘Such a great song from “The Greatest Showman”’, Julian said.</p><p>‘What on earth is “The Greatest Showman”?’ Phillip and Anne asked.</p><p>‘It’s a movie that came out around Christmas last year’, Julian replied.</p><p>‘Not to mention it is your dimension, i.e. the place you call home’, Randy said.</p><p>‘What?’ Phillip asked, ‘Our home is a movie that was made for your viewing pleasure?’</p><p>‘Well, um, yes’, Randy said, ‘Every dimension views all other dimensions as fiction.’</p><p>‘But we’re in your dimension now, so we know that it’s not fiction’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘Yes’, Randy said, ‘And we know that your dimension exists for the same reason.’</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>‘Anyway, it’s time to turn the magic picture frame off’, Phillip said, ‘We’ve seen enough for today.’</p><p>However, just before Randy could turn the T.V. off, another music video came on, this time for a song called “Rewrite the Stars.”</p><p> </p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip said as he quickly moved in front of the screen, albeit red-faced, ‘We don’t need to see any more of <em>that</em>.’</p><p>‘You can say that again’, Anne said, ‘I cannot believe that anything that personal is even allowed to be shown! It’s embarrassing.’</p><p>‘But we can still hear you two singing’, Randy said.</p><p>‘Oh, I forgot about that, even though it was blatantly obvious’, Phillip said, ‘Anyway, can you please turn it off?’</p><p>‘Ok’, Randy said before he turned the T.V. off.</p><p> </p><p>‘Right’, Phillip said, ‘I think it’s time that we returned home.’</p><p>‘Let me take you there then’, Randy said.</p><p>‘Goodbye!’ Howard, Julian and Juggo said as they walked out the door.</p><p> </p><p>‘Ah, it’s good to finally be home’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘Indeed’, Anne said as they walked towards the tent.</p><p>‘We’ve been missing you two for the last two days’, Lettie said as she walked up to them, ‘What are those in your hand, Phillip?’</p><p>‘Oh’, Phillip said, ‘They’re a type of candy called “Choco O’s”. Do you want to have…oh, wait a minute, you’ve got an allergy to cocoa, haven’t you?’</p><p>‘Yes’, Lettie said disappointedly, ‘No chocolate for me, I suppose. At least you and everyone else can enjoy them.’</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, a large rat ran across the ring and past them.</p><p>‘AAAHHH!’ Anne screamed as she leapt up onto one of the ropes hanging from the ceiling, ‘Get rid of it!!’</p><p>‘Calm down, Anne’, Phillip said, ‘It’s only a rat.’</p><p>‘Well, you don’t know what damage they can do’, Anne said, ‘I’m not coming down until it is gone.’</p><p>‘Fine’, Phillip said before he walked away, ‘I’ll go and set some traps.’</p><p>‘Anne’, Lettie said, ‘I don’t get why you’re scared of rats.’</p><p>‘I’m also afraid of mice’, Anne said, ‘I suppose I’m like the elephants in that way.’</p><p>‘That’s a good point’, Lettie said, ‘What if one runs out into the ring during a show? Things could go bad very quickly…’</p><p>‘Yes, I know what you mean, Anne said as she jumped down, ‘At least there will be some traps set to catch them.’</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>At 1:00 the following morning, Phillip was walking up the hall when he accidentally stood on one of the traps, setting it off.</p><p>‘Damn you, stupid piece of junk!’ he said when he took it off his shoe.</p><p>‘What’s going on?’ Lettie said when she opened her door, ‘I heard one of the traps go off.’</p><p>‘Well, it didn’t catch the rat, but it caught me’, Phillip said, ‘When I know who set it in such a stupid place in the hall, I’ll…’</p><p>‘Um…you’re the one who set that one and all of the others’, Lettie said.</p><p>‘Oh’, Phillip said, ‘In that case, I need to be more careful with setting them.’</p><p>‘I think so too’, Lettie said.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘Anne’, Randy said when he closed the door, ‘You seemed like you wanted to say something else a few nights ago.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘The day after the train arrived in New York City, we were accepted into an orphanage. Anyway, a week later, there was a Cherokee boy about the same age as W.D., who had lost his parents in the same way as us.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Hello’, the building owner, Wanda, said when she had opened the door, ‘What’s your name?’</p><p>‘I’m Red Cloud’, the boy said, ‘But you can just call me Ethan.’</p><p>‘Ok, Ethan’, Wanda said as she brought him into the dining room where we all were, ‘Everyone, meet our newest addition, Ethan.’</p><p>‘Pleased to meet you’, we all said.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as I saw him, I knew I wanted to become friends.</p><p> </p><p>Later that day, in the yard behind the big hall-like building, I sat down on a bench with him.</p><p>‘Greetings’, I said, ‘I’m Anne. I have an older brother named W.D.’</p><p>‘I don’t know anyone here’, Ethan said, ‘How’s about we become friends?’</p><p>‘Sure’, I said.</p><p>‘Thanks’, Ethan said, ‘Besides, you look pretty today.’</p><p>‘And you don’t look that bad yourself’, I said, ‘I like your personality.’</p><p>‘Oh’, Ethan said before he walked away, ‘It’s time for me to go. See you later, Anne.’</p><p>‘See you’, I said before I let out a sigh.</p><p> </p><p>‘Ooohhh’, I heard a voice behind me say, ‘Someone’s in love!’</p><p>‘What?’ I said when I turned around to see the owner of the voice, a boy named Ralphie, ‘We are just good friends!’</p><p>‘Why did you sigh then?’ Ralphie asked.</p><p>‘I was short of breath’, I replied.</p><p> </p><p>After lunch the next day, I and W.D found an old rope swing tied to the tree at the back of the section.</p><p>‘Now’s our chance, W.D.’, I said as I climbed up onto the swing, ‘We can use this to practice on.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Hey!!’ I heard a familiar voice shout before I saw Ralphie running towards us, ‘Get off my swing!’</p><p>‘Your swing?’ I asked, ‘It is here for everyone to use!’</p><p>‘Wanda had it tied up exclusively for me, so there’, Ralphie said before he pushed me off.</p><p>‘Hey!’ W.D. said, ‘Don’t treat my sister like that!’</p><p>‘What are <em>you </em>going to do about it?’ he asked before saying the “sp” word, causing everyone to stare.</p><p>‘Seriously’, W.D. said, ‘Did you have to use <em>that </em>word? And I doubt that the swing was even given to you.’</p><p>‘Yeah’, I said when I stood up, ‘We will someday be famous trapeze artists, so we need to start practicing now!’</p><p>‘Gee’, Ralphie said sarcastically, ‘I’m <em>so </em>sorry to disturb you…but that doesn’t change the fact that you stole my swing!’</p><p>‘You just wait and see what becomes of us’, I said.</p><p>‘I’m <strong>never </strong>going to be interested in what you low-life duo do in the future anyway’, Ralphie said, ‘You probably won’t even be able to find work anywhere, unless some fool, hypothetically, were to establish a place like a circus or something.’</p><p> </p><p>‘What’s going on here?’ Wanda asked as she approached us.</p><p>‘Ralphie pushed me off the swing and called me and W.D. the “sp” word’, I said.</p><p>‘Ralphie!’ Wanda said before she dragged him inside, ‘I’m appalled by what you have done. It’s time to get your mouth washed out with soap!’</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Phillip noticed a single rope hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the ring, which gave him an idea.</p><p>‘Time to find out what I can do with this’, he thought as he jumped up onto it and ascended to the height of the swings, thanks to a counter-weight.</p><p>‘This is pretty easy’, he thought as he grabbed hold of one of the swings and moved away from the rope at speed, ‘There’s a small ledge right in front of me to rest on.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Wow!’ he thought as he stood on the ledge, ‘I can see everything going on from here!’</p><p> </p><p>However, when he decided to come down 15 minutes later, he found that he couldn’t reach the swing.</p><p>‘Oh no’, he thought, ‘I can’t get down!’</p><p> </p><p>‘Anyway, Randy’, Anne said as she opened the door, ‘I need to go and rehearse for tonight.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Randy said.</p><p>However, just as she walked into the ring, she heard something unusual.</p><p>‘Up here’, a voice said, ‘I’m stuck and need to get down.’</p><p>‘Oh my goodness!’ Anne said when she looked up, ‘What are you doing up there?’</p><p>‘I wanted to see the view from here, which is amazing by the way, but now I can’t get down.’</p><p>‘Don’t worry’, Anne said as she ascended on the rope, ‘I’ll bring you down.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Phillip, you know that you shouldn’t have been up there’, Anne said as they descended to the ground, ‘You are not a professional trapeze artist!’</p><p>‘Yes, you’re right’, Phillip said, ‘Oh, and by the way, instead of “trapeze artist” you could have said “swing master.”’</p><p>‘But that wouldn’t have made any sense’, Anne said before she realised the pun, ‘By the way, that was terrible.’</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The next day was the 1<sup>st</sup> of July and was a special day.</p><p>‘Good morning world!’ Phillip thought when he woke up at 7:30 a.m., ‘I’m turning 31 today!’</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, outside in the hall, Anne and Lettie were discussing the plans for the day.</p><p>‘Ok’, Anne said, ‘We have a lot to do before the party tonight; there’s decorations to hang, tables to bring in from the storage room and set up and a cake to buy.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Lettie said, ‘But we can’t let Phillip see what we are doing or give him any hints as to what’s going on.’</p><p>‘No’, Anne said, ‘It would ruin the surprise.’</p><p>‘Anyway, it will be a great night’, Lettie said.</p><p> </p><p>‘What are you two talking about?’ Phillip asked when he opened his door.’</p><p>‘Oh’, Lettie replied, ‘We were talking about the glorious weather outside. There isn’t a cloud in the sky.’</p><p>‘Speaking of glorious’, Phillip said, ‘Do you know what day it is today?’</p><p>‘Um…it’s the 1<sup>st</sup> of July’, Anne said.</p><p>‘And what else?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘It’s three days until Independence Day’, Lettie said, ‘There’s going to be a grand parade and fireworks display in the centre of town that night.’</p><p>‘Come on, guys’, Phillip said, ‘You must remember something else about today…being a special day.’</p><p>‘Um…no, sorry, nothing special about today’, Lettie said.</p><p>‘However’, Anne said as she handed him a stack of papers, ‘P.T wants you to validate these before midday.’</p><p>‘All right then’, Phillip said before he closed the door.</p><p> </p><p>‘Phew!’ Anne said as she and Lettie walked out into the main part of the tent, ‘That was close!’</p><p>‘Yes’, Lettie said, ‘At least he’ll be kept busy for a while in there with those papers.’</p><p>‘And we can set up down here’, Anne said, ‘First up is moving the tables into the center of the ring.’</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>Five minutes later…</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>‘Right’, Anne said, ‘That’s the tables sorted.’</p><p>‘Good thing your brother was able to help with moving them’, Lettie said, ‘I don’t know how we would have set up without him.’</p><p>‘Ok, Lettie, that’s quite enough of that’, Anne said, referring to her crush, ‘Now for the cake.’</p><p>‘I placed an order at the bakery on the corner last Wednesday, so it should be ready to pick up at any time from now.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Anne said, ‘I’d go and pick it up, but what if people see? How would they react? I’d probably not be allowed to enter the bakery anyway.’</p><p>‘Hm…’ Lettie said, ‘What if I come down with you to retrieve the cake?’</p><p>‘But that would bring too much unwanted attention from the public’, Anne said.</p><p>‘No, it wouldn’t’, Lettie said, ‘Besides, they already know my face from when I placed the order, and we’d come straight back here afterwards.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Anne said, ‘Let’s go.’</p><p> </p><p>On the way back with the cake, they encountered the same thug as a few days ago.</p><p>‘Hey!’ he shouted from across the road, ‘If it isn’t Fuzz-Face and the sp... ‘</p><p>‘Not you again!’  Lettie said, ‘You’ve caused more than enough trouble around here!’</p><p>‘Who are you to tell me that?’ the thug said, ‘I’m not taking anything from a lowly hairball like you!’</p><p>‘How <strong>dare </strong>you call me a hairball?’ Lettie said, ‘Especially when you are much uglier yourself!’</p><p>‘Shut your face, flopdoodle!’ the thug shouted.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, a green mist surrounded Lettie and transformed her into a giant squirrel.</p><p>‘Ha, ha!’ the thug laughed, ‘You’re even uglier in your stanked form!’</p><p>‘At least I’m still normal’, Anne said.</p><p>‘Yes, you’re normal...for a sp...’ the thug began before Anne transformed into a giant purple dragonfly.</p><p><strong>‘What </strong>did you just say??’ she asked as she picked him up and ascended into the air.</p><p>‘I was going to say…that you’re a pathetic lummox!’ the thug replied, ‘So pathetic in fact, I could easily break your wings, being the fragile and flimsy pieces of transparent trash they are!’</p><p>‘That’s it!’ Anne said, ‘You are going to get it!’</p><p> </p><p>‘Smokebomb!’ the Ninja said when he appeared in a puff of red smoke and looked up, ‘Oh, causing trouble again, are we?’</p><p>‘Get…me…down!’ the thug shouted.</p><p>‘Hm…’ the Ninja thought, ‘I…I know how to de-stank them! Just wait here and don’t move!’</p><p>‘Like I have a choice’, the thug said.</p><p> </p><p>Five minutes later, the Ninja ran into the centre of the ring and was just about to cut one of the trapeze swings in half when W.D stopped him.</p><p>‘Stop!’ he said, ‘Why are you cutting the swing down?’</p><p>‘I’ll explain later’, the Ninja said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll replace it as soon as possible.’</p><p>‘Um…ok’, W.D said, ‘Just make sure you do. We need it for our act.’</p><p>‘Ninja slice!’ the Ninja said when he cut the bar in half.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Phillip had finished validating the papers and just so happened to be standing behind the bakery when Anne and the thug fell out of the sky above him.</p><p>‘Don’t worry, Anne!’ he said as he quickly moved a comically oversized sack of flour in front of him, ‘I’ve got you!’</p><p> </p><p>The impact of Anne hitting the sack caused Phillip to fall on top of her, while the thug fell onto a pile of horse manure further down the road.</p><p>‘Oh great’, he said when he stood up, ‘I’m covered from head to toe in sh…’</p><p>‘And you reek of it too’, the Ninja said, ‘Promise me you won’t ever cause trouble around here again, or you will be locked up.’</p><p>‘Ok, I promise’, the thug said before he walked away, ‘Now to go home and clean myself and these clothes off.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Thanks for turning everything back to normal, Ninja’, Lettie said, ‘We were on our way back with the cake in the box here when we encountered him, which was when everything started to turn ugly.’</p><p>‘No problem’, the Ninja (Randy) said, ‘Let’s go back!’</p><p>‘Wait a minute’, Lettie said, ‘Where’s Anne?’</p><p>‘She should be right over here, going by my calculations’, Randy said as he carried the cake around the corner, ‘Follow me.’</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, Anne wasn’t very pleased with Phillip lying on top of her…</p><p>‘Phillip, get off me’, she said.</p><p>‘All right then’, Phillip said as they both stood up, ‘I suppose good things don’t last.’</p><p>‘I’m just wondering how that sack of flour was in the right place at the right time’, Anne said, ‘It was like someone had placed it there for me to land on.’</p><p>‘No, it was totally random chance’, Phillip said just as Randy and Lettie appeared from behind the building.</p><p> </p><p>‘I’ve got the box right here, thanks to the Ninja’, Lettie said.</p><p>‘Good afternoon, Ninja’, Anne said, ‘Thank goodness everything’s alright.’</p><p>‘We were just heading back, if you guys want to come’, Randy said.</p><p> ‘Good afternoon, Phillip’, she said before she realised, ‘Wait a minute. What are you doing here?’</p><p>‘Well, I decided to go for a walk after I had finished with the stack of papers’, Phillip said, ‘You won’t believe what happened next; Anne fell from the sky onto this sack of flour because of some weird reason.’</p><p>‘Not to mention you were lying on top of me for a few minutes, “for some weird reason”’, Anne said.</p><p>‘The impact of you landing caused me to lose balance’, Phillip said, ‘There was nothing “weird” about it.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Anne said sarcastically, ‘I bet that it would be <em>completely</em> different in your dreams.’</p><p>‘Perhaps’, Phillip said while blushing.</p><p> </p><p>‘Guys, we need to go’, Lettie said, ‘This box needs to go into storage as soon as possible.’</p><p>‘What’s in the box?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘Oh’, Lettie said, ‘It’s filled with…new…uh…props, that’s right, props.’</p><p>‘’Ok’, Phillip said as they were walking back to the tent, ‘I noticed that the long tables and chairs are in the middle of the ring too.’</p><p>‘Um…that’s because we are…moving the furniture around’, Lettie said, ‘P.T wants them to go up the hall and into the tea-room.’</p><p>‘Ah, now I get it’, Phillip said as they walked into the main part of the tent, ‘You go and put those props in the storage room.’</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>By 7:00 p.m. that night, all the decorations had been set up, the tables were covered. the cake was the proud centrepiece and Jumbo the elephant was waiting in the corner of the room.</p><p>‘Right’, Lettie said, ‘Anne, you can go up and get Phillip.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Anne said before she walked up the hall.</p><p> </p><p>‘Phillip’, she said as she knocked on his door, ‘There’s something important I need to tell you.’</p><p>‘What is it?’ Phillip asked when he opened the door.</p><p>‘It’s something to do with the new props’, Anne replied, Follow me.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip said as they walked down the hall.’</p><p> </p><p>‘They’re coming’, Lettie said as she covered the cake with the box it came in, ‘Quick, everyone, hide!’</p><p> </p><p>‘Um…why is the box on the table?’ Phillip asked as he and Anne walked into the room.</p><p>‘It’s for a very important reason’, Anne replied as Phillip looked around.</p><p>‘Also, why is Jumbo in here?’ he asked, ‘I like the decorations that you have set up, too.’</p><p>‘Jumbo helped with putting them up’, Anne said, ‘We decided that the place needed a makeover.’</p><p>‘Well, it looks amazing’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘Anyway, I’ll tell you what I bought you down here for’, Anne said.</p><p>‘What’s that?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘I wanted to tell you…’ Anne began.</p><p> </p><p>‘Ok, everyone’, Lettie said, ‘Three…two…one…’</p><p>‘SURPRISE!!’ everyone shouted when they came out of hiding, followed by Jumbo’s trumpeting.</p><p>‘What the…?’ Phillip asked in amazement, ‘What is all this?’</p><p>‘Happy birthday, Phillip!’ everyone replied as Lettie removed the box covering the cake.</p><p>‘Goodness me, I’d thought that you had forgotten’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘We’d never forget your birthday’, Anne said.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At 9:45 the next morning, Phillip, Lettie, Anne, Howard and Julian were playing a game of snap when Randy (as the Ninja) walked into the room.</p><p>‘What are you guys doing?’ he asked.</p><p>‘We’re halfway through a game of snap’, Phillip said, ‘You can join the next one if you want to.’</p><p>‘No thanks’, Randy said as he sat on a chair, ‘I’ll just watch.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Ok’, Howard said as he added the Four of Hearts to the stack on the table, ‘Does anyone have a match?’</p><p>‘Yes’, Lettie said as she added the matching card, ‘Snap!’</p><p> </p><p>‘Next up is me’, Julian said as he added an Ace card to the pile, ‘Is this anyone’s card?’</p><p>‘Um…Julian’, Phillip said, ‘None of us have an Ace.’</p><p>‘Oh’, Julian said disappointedly, ‘Looks like I’ll never be any good at snap.’</p><p>‘Don’t worry’, Phillip said, ‘You’ll get another turn.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Anyway, back to the game’, Lettie said.</p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip said as he added a card, ‘Here is Seven of Hearts.’</p><p>‘Nope’, Howard said, ‘Don’t have that one.’</p><p>‘Me too’, Julian said.</p><p>‘Me three’, Lettie said.</p><p> </p><p>However, Anne’s eyes widened when she noticed that one of her cards was the match.</p><p>‘Go on, Anne’, Lettie said, ‘Put it on the deck.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Julian said, ‘You know you want to.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Anne said before she added the matching card, ‘If you say so.’</p><p>‘Snap!’ Phillip said in response, although he didn’t realise it was her who had put it down until he looked up a few seconds later.</p><p>‘Um, Anne?’ Lettie asked as her pupils dilated.</p><p>‘Phillip?’ Julian asked as the same happened to him.</p><p>‘Ok, you two, seriously’, Lettie said, ‘We get what’s going on. Anyway, let’s just continue with the game.’</p><p>‘Ok?’ Phillip and Anne said dreamily before snapping out of their trance, ‘Right, let’s finish this.’</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>The following day marked the start of the two-week off-season period.</p><p>‘Guys’, Randy said, ‘I have something fun to do for the next few days.’</p><p>‘What does it involve?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘It involves coming with me to Norrisville again’, Randy replied, ‘This time, however, I’m going to take you on a special trip.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip and Anne said as the followed him into the portal that had appeared, ‘Let’s go!’</p><p> </p><p>‘Right’, Randy said as they stepped out into his living room, ‘There are a bunch of tickets on the counter over here.’</p><p>‘Are we going to the theatre?’ Phillip asked when he picked up one of the tickets.</p><p>‘No’, Randy replied, ‘We’re going somewhere much more exciting.’</p><p>‘Like where?’ Phillip asked.</p><p> </p><p>After a 15-minute drive, they arrived at Norrisville Airport.</p><p>‘What is this place?’ Anne asked.</p><p>‘This is where we’re going to begin our adventure’, Randy replied, ‘We’ll be travelling to one side of the  country and back.’</p><p>‘But we only have two weeks off’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘You’ll see that it will be over within a much shorter timeframe’, Randy said as they walked into the waiting lounge in front of Gate 17-C.</p><p> </p><p>Two hours later, they walked down the long tunnel attached to the entrance of Gate 17-C and boarded the plane at the other end.</p><p>‘Right then’, Randy said as they walked down the isle until he found Row 15, ‘Here are our seats, right beside a window.’</p><p>‘What is this thing that we’re inside?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘This is an aeroplane’, Randy replied, ‘You’ll see what happens next after everyone else has boarded.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip said as the rest of the seats were being filled up.</p><p> </p><p>After another 10 minutes, the plane taxied out onto the runway.</p><p>‘Ok, guys’, Randy said when the seatbelt light came on, ‘Time to put your belts on.’</p><p>‘Right’, Phillip and Anne said.</p><p>As soon and they had done this, the plane zoomed down the runway at full speed and began ascending into the air.</p><p>‘What the heck is happening?’ Phillip asked while he watched objects on the ground get smaller and smaller through the window.</p><p>‘I think we’re flying’, Anne replied, ‘It’s been my life-long dream.’</p><p>‘I see’, Phillip said just as the plane levelled out from the incline and the seatbelt light turned off, ‘How long will we be here for?’</p><p>‘We will be in Los Angeles in 6 hours’, Randy said.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Six hours later…</em>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>‘Whoa!’ Anne said in response to the vibration and rapid drop in speed caused by the tyres hitting the runway, ‘I’ve never been through anything like this before.’</p><p>‘Me neither’, Phillip said as the plane taxied towards a vacant gate.</p><p> </p><p>‘Here we are’, Randy said as people were disembarking, ‘Let’s go.’</p><p>‘Thank goodness’, Phillip said, ‘My legs need stretching anyway.’</p><p>‘Mine too’, Anne said.</p><p>‘You could have stood up during the flight, you know’, Randy said, ‘The seatbelt light wasn’t on for most of the duration.’</p><p>‘Oh’, Phillip said, ‘I thought it was unusual that people were standing up and moving around. Anyway, we’ll remember for next time.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Ok’, Randy said as they stood at the taxi-stand outside the main doors half an hour later, ‘We’re going to stay in a local hotel tonight, then catch another flight tomorrow morning.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip said.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>At approximately 9:15 that night…</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>‘Right’, Randy said when he unlocked and opened the door to their room, ‘This is our room for the night. I’ll be in the main bed here, while you two will be behind the door over there.’</p><p>‘Wait a minute!’ Phillip said in shock, ‘You mean that we’ll be in there together?’</p><p>‘Um…well…’ Randy began, before he was cut off.</p><p>‘Oh my goodness, it’s a dream come true!’ Phillip said as his pupils dilated, ‘Anne, we’ll be able to do what we want tonight…without <em>any </em>interruptions!’</p><p>‘Um…I think Randy has something else to say’, Phillip’, Anne said.</p><p>‘Thanks’, Randy said, ‘You will each have your separate rooms separated by a short hallway behind the door, to avoid any…uh, “shenanigans” that might occur otherwise.’</p><p>‘What sort of “shenanigans”?’ Phillip asked, ‘The only thing that would have happened between us would be sleeping anyway.’</p><p>‘Look’, Randy replied, ‘Do I have to be explicit in explaining? And considering what happened that night you were caught in the hall, Phillip, it’s obvious.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘Besides, I just want to sleep tonight.’</p><p> </p><p>At 10:30 the next morning, Randy, Anne and Phillip were on another plane heading back to Norrisville.</p><p>‘Well, now you’ve seen how quick going across the country can take’, Randy said.</p><p>‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘It’s amazing how life has changed in over 100 years since 1871.’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At midday the next day, Juggo visited Randy, Howard. Julian and the rest of the Klub with an astonishing admission.</p><p>‘Good afternoon, everyone’, he said, ‘I’ve called you all here today because I have an amazing fact to tell you.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Julian said, ‘What is it?’</p><p>‘You know the surname that you and everyone else at school knows, right?’ Juggo asked.</p><p>‘Yes’, Julian replied, ‘Everyone knows that you’re a Finlayson. Why?’</p><p>‘I just wanted to tell you that it’s not my real surname’, Juggo said, ‘I was adopted as a baby and took their surname.’</p><p>‘So, what is your real surname then?’ Julian asked.</p><p>‘Guess what it is’, Juggo replied, ‘Here’s a clue; it’s something to do with my obsession.’</p><p>‘Hey!’, Theresa said, ‘Does it start with “B”? Just wondering.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Juggo said, ‘Starts with “Bar” to be exact.’</p><p>‘No…it couldn’t be!’ Randy said, ‘You’re a Barnum?’</p><p>‘Correct’, Juggo admitted, ‘I’m a direct descendent, actually.’</p><p>‘No wonder you love the circus then!’ Julian said, ‘It’s in your blood.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Randy said, ‘You should tell Phillip about it next time they visit.’</p><p> </p><p>‘There you are, Juggo!’ a female voice said as a figure ran towards him, ‘I’ve been looking for you all day.’</p><p>‘Who’s that girl, Juggo?’ Julian asked.</p><p>‘Oh’, Juggo replied, ‘This is Kathy, my…um…girlfriend from 6<sup>th</sup> grade.’</p><p>‘You didn’t tell us you had a girlfriend’, Julian and the rest of the Klub said.</p><p>‘That’s because she lives across the country in Colorado’, Juggo said, ‘We met in middle school while her mother had a job as a nurse in Norrisville General.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Kathy said, ‘Juggo’s been telling me about you guys for the past couple of days.’</p><p>‘Anyway’, Julian said, ‘I’m Julian Blackmoon, Master of Der Monster Klub and son of Clara Ebony Blackmoon and Thomas D. Blackmoon.’</p><p>‘Goodness!’ Kathy said, ‘Your father was that famous magician, “The Great Mysteriarti.”’</p><p>‘Correct’, Julian said, ‘My mother is the founder and owner of Blackmoon Robotics. Inc.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Kathy said, ‘I purchased a CX-200 drone last year that was made by them.’</p><p>‘Speaking of that’, Julian said, ‘That line was suddenly discontinued on New Year’s Eve for budgeting reasons and the value has since gone up dramatically; I’ve seen two sold on online auctions for up to $15,999.99, and they had been well used.’</p><p>‘Well, I originally wanted to start using it this summer to take photographs and stuff, but since I am travelling around the country with my parents, I don’t have the time for it now. By the way, it’s still in the box.’</p><p>‘You should really try listing it online then’, Julian said, ‘A brand-new CX-200 in the unopened box could easily start off a bidding war.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Kathy said, ‘I will when I return home.’</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>End of Part 20.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>‘Look at the time’, Kathy said as she looked at her smartwatch, ‘I’ve got to go if we want to be in Memphis to meet my cousins for dinner.’</p><p>‘Ok then’, Juggo said, ‘See you next time.’</p><p>‘See you’, Kathy said before she walked away.</p><p> </p><p>‘Phew!’ Juggo said, ‘That was close! If only she had shown up a few seconds earlier…’</p><p>‘What do you mean?’ Julian asked.</p><p>‘It’s just that, to some people, my surname has negative connections’, Juggo replied.</p><p>‘Like what?’ Julian asked.</p><p>‘Animal abuse’, Juggo replied, ‘That’s why my adoptive parents decided to change my surname to theirs immediately after taking me home with them. It’s also the reason why I’ve never told anyone about it since I found out through a DNA test in 2012.’</p><p>‘I see’, Julian said, ‘It’s just that…you acted as if Kathy was one of “those” people.’</p><p>‘Let me tell you guys something’, Juggo said.</p><p>‘Ok’, Julian and the rest of the Klub said.</p><p> </p><p>‘You see, since 2010, Kathy and her parents were on board with a series of nationwide protests against the circus that my surname is forever linked to as part of its name. These protests were against the abuse of animals that performed in shows and went on until last May, when the circus was shut down for good’, Juggo said.</p><p> </p><p>‘I remember those’, Julian said, ‘My mother played an active part in the big march up Tokomune Street in 2014.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Theresa said, ‘I saw her in the newspaper the next day and on live coverage on T.V.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Speaking of this, remember that history project our class did this past year?’ Juggo asked.</p><p>‘Yes’, Julian replied, ‘I always thought you were a bit uneasy when the teacher mentioned that it was on that topic.’</p><p>‘I know’, Juggo said, ‘The first half of the project was absolute torture, since I had to relive the then-recent events and research what had happened from the beginning in the 1870’s.’</p><p>‘At least you were working with me from beginning to end’, Julian said, ‘I told you that “the past is the past” and “old mistakes cannot be changed” which made you more determined to do the best you could on it.’</p><p>‘Speaking of that’, Juggo said, ‘When we handed it in, some of my information was so detailed that the teacher required us to submit scans of book pages and screen shots of websites for verification.’</p><p>‘Anyway, two long weeks after finding, scanning and submitting all those extra parts, we received an A+ grade for the project’, Julian said.</p><p>‘Not to mention it was pinned to the corkboard at the back of the room for everyone to see’, Juggo said.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>End of Part 21.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The following Sunday at 1:35 p.m., a very special person came to visit Anne.</p><p>‘Oh my goodness!’ she said when she hugged them, ‘I haven’t seen you in years, Ethan!’</p><p>‘Me neither’, Ethan said, ‘So, what you told me about becoming a trapeze artist in the circus turned out to be true, then.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘Same goes for W.D.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Anne?’ Phillip said just as he walked in from the hallway, ‘I’ve just discovered that…’</p><p>‘What the…!?’ he asked in shock when he saw Anne and Ethan hugging each other, ‘Who the heck is <em>this</em>!?’</p><p>‘It’s not what you think!’ Anne replied as she let go of Ethan, ‘By the way, this is Ethan, a childhood friend of mine.’</p><p>‘Pleased to meet you, Ethan, I suppose’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘Me too, Phillip’, Ethan said.</p><p>‘Anyway, what brings you here?’ Anne asked.</p><p>‘Well, I decided to return to NYC for a holiday when I saw an advertisement for the circus nailed to a tree, so I decided to see what it was all about’, Ethan replied.</p><p> </p><p>However, Phillip wasn’t convinced.</p><p>‘Ok, Ethan’, he said, ‘I’ve got my eye on you, so don’t even <strong>think </strong>about doing any “funny business”, understand?’</p><p>‘Ok, ok’, Ethan said, ‘However, I believe you misunderstood what happened a few seconds ago…’</p><p>‘Now be gone!’ Phillip said before Ethan walked away.</p><p> </p><p>‘What was that about?’ Anne asked as Phillip hugged her.</p><p>‘No-one, and I mean <em>no-one</em>, is going to take my girl’, he replied.</p><p>‘But he <em>is </em>a childhood friend, honestly!’ Anne said.</p><p>‘Did you see the look in his eyes?’ Phillip said, ‘He was most definitely trying to hit on you.’</p><p>‘Anyway, he promised that he would be watching the midday show tomorrow’, Anne said, ‘So he can see what I’ve become after all these years.’</p><p>‘Well, I’ll be watching him too’, Phillip said, ‘He knows too damn well that he went too far this time, and I made it clear that I won’t tolerate <strong>any </strong>of it!’</p><p>‘Seriously’, Anne said, ‘You really need to use your head.’</p><p>‘And what is that supposed to mean?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘I’m just saying’, Anne said while blushing, ‘That’s where your brain is.’</p><p>‘You didn’t need to state the…’ Phillip said before he realised what she meant, ‘Oh, now I get it.’</p><p> </p><p>‘I thought I could hear you two down here’, Lettie said as she walked in, only to see them in an embrace, ‘On second thought…perhaps I should go and leave you both by yourselves.’</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>‘Anne!’ Ethan said as he ran up to her after the crowds had left at 1:45 the next afternoon, ‘You were amazing!’</p><p>‘Thanks’, Anne said, ‘It’s just another day in the office, or should I say, circus, for me.’</p><p>It was then that Ethan noticed Phillip gazing directly at him from the middle of the ring.</p><p>‘Look, I need to go now’, he said.</p><p>‘What for?’ Anne asked.</p><p>‘Uh…why don’t you see for yourself’, Ethan replied.</p><p>‘Oh boy’, Anne said as she rolled her eyes, ‘I’ll go and take care of this.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Come on, Phillip, we’ve been over this before’, she said when she walked up to him, ‘He’s not here to steal me from you.’</p><p>‘So why did he tell you that you were amazing then?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘Look’, Anne replied, ‘He meant it in a generic way, regarding my skill. Seriously, there’s absolutely <em>nothing </em>going on that suggests otherwise.’</p><p>‘I just can’t get over the way he looked at you yesterday’, Phillip said, ‘Even that alone made me suspicious of his intentions.’</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Half an hour later…</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>‘I really believe that I should leave right now’, Ethan said.</p><p>‘What?’ Anne asked, ‘Why?’</p><p>‘It’s because of Phillip watching my every move with suspicion’, Ethan replied, ‘He doesn’t seem to trust me around you for some reason.’</p><p>‘Oh’, Anne said, ‘He’s just making sure that nothing bad happens, that’s all.’</p><p>‘But why the suspicion, though?’ Ethan asked.</p><p>‘Fine’, Anne said, ‘His main concern is you stealing me from him.’</p><p>‘What?’ Ethan said in shock, ‘But you know I wouldn’t ever do such a thing!’</p><p>‘I know’, Anne said, ‘But he’s always been this protective of me.’</p><p>‘Ah, now I understand’, Ethan said, ‘So you two are together?’</p><p>‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘We have been for the past seven months.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>‘Anne’s right you know’, Phillip said, ‘So go and eat your heart out!’</p><p>‘This reminds me of that time when we were the equivalent of high school sophomores’, Ethan said.</p><p>‘Oh yes, I remember well’, Anne said, ‘We wrote and delivered that poem together in front of the class.’</p><p>‘Yes, and everyone enjoyed it’, Ethan said, ‘Anyway, what just happened now reminded me of one particular part of it.’</p><p>‘What part was it?’ Anne asked.</p><p>‘It’s the part about the worst job in my opinion, which is the job of ringmaster at the circus.’</p><p>In response, Phillip let go of Anne and walked towards him.</p><p>‘And what’s so bad about being ringmaster, eh?’ he asked.</p><p>‘No offense, Phillip’, Ethan replied, ‘It’s just that I believe there are much better things to do than just telling everyone what to do while doing nothing productive yourself.’</p><p>‘Listen, Ethan’, Phillip said, ‘Firstly, the circus wouldn’t exist without an organiser and leader, and secondly, P.T gave me this role before he retired!’</p><p>‘Why did he retire in the first place?’ Ethan asked.</p><p>‘I don’t know’, Phillip said as Anne facepalmed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘Good afternoon, guys’, Randy said when he walked in from outside, ‘I have brought Juggo with me this time.’</p><p>‘Pleased to meet you again, Juggo’, Phillip and Anne said.</p><p>‘I’ve got something amazing to tell you’, Juggo said.</p><p>‘Ok then’, Phillip said, ‘Tell us.’</p><p>‘I’ve got a copy of my family tree here’, Juggo said when he handed him a big sheet of paper, ‘It shows all my ancestors from 1837 to my birth parents.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Oh my goodness!’ Anne said when she saw the family name’, ‘I cannot believe it!’</p><p>‘Wait a minute!’ Phillip said, ‘You’re a descendent of the person we know as P.T?’</p><p>‘Correct’, Juggo said, ‘I’m his 5<sup>th</sup> great-grandson, to be exact.’</p><p>‘Now I know why you were so excited when you met us that you fainted’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘So, you’re basically part of the family here, then’, Anne said.</p><p>‘Yes’, Juggo said, ‘This place is just how I always imagined it would look, too.’</p><p>‘Anyway, there’s an evening show starting at 5:30 tonight that you wouldn’t want to miss’, Anne said.</p><p>‘It would be my pleasure to stay and watch’, Juggo said.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>‘I’m absolutely speechless after what I just saw!’ Juggo said after the show had finished, ‘I’d never seen anything quite like it before.’</p><p>‘We told you that you would enjoy it’, Anne said.</p><p>‘Anyway’, Juggo said when he gave her an envelope, ‘This is for you. The Ninja found it at the side of the road, as if it had fallen out of the postman’s bag or something.’</p><p>‘Thanks, and thank him too’, Anne said as she opened the envelope and read the letter.’</p><p>‘What does it say?’ Juggo asked.</p><p>‘Oh, it’s nothing for you to worry about’, Anne replied.</p><p> </p><p>However, the contents of the letter kept her awake for most of the night.</p><p>‘Frederick…O’Brien…on holiday…in New York City!’ she thought as she tried to sleep, eventually rolling out of bed with a thud.</p><p>‘What the…?’ W.D said when he woke up in response, only to see his sister on the floor, ‘What are you doing down there?’</p><p>‘Oh’, Anne said, ‘I received a letter after tonight’s show that stated that a certain someone is in the city on holiday’,</p><p>‘Who is this “certain someone” you mention?’ W.D asked.</p><p>‘Why don’t you have a look for yourself’, Anne replied when she gave him the letter before lighting the lantern on the dressing table.</p><p> </p><p>The fact that the letter was from Fredrick O’Brien caused W.D to have a flashback of living on his farm in South Carolina.</p><p>‘No…it can’t be….from <strong><em>him</em></strong>…Fredrick O’Brien.’</p><p>‘I couldn’t believe it either’, Anne said, ‘And now he’s here, living among us.’</p><p>‘Hopefully, he won’t be coming anywhere near the circus during the next week’, W.D said, ‘You know how he treated us and Mum back on the farm.’</p><p>‘Yes, I have clear memories of those years, even though I was under five for much of it’, Anne said, ‘I don’t know if I could face him again.’</p><p>‘Anyway’, W.D said as he extinguished the lantern, ‘Just try to get some rest.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Anne said, ‘Goodnight.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Long time, no see, Mr. O’Brien’, Phillip said to a short, grey-haired man just outside the tent, ‘Come inside.’</p><p>‘I can’t believe that you are the ringmaster after all these years’, Fredrick said, ‘I used to enjoy watching your plays in the theatre when they came to town.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip said, ‘Those were the days, when women from all around were after me.’</p><p>‘Pity that you’ve never settled down with someone though’, Fredrick said, ‘I would expect someone of the same social class as me to at least have a companion.’</p><p>‘Actually, I do’, Phillip said, ‘I’ll just go and get her.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Fredrick said.</p><p> </p><p>‘Anne’, Phillip said as he opened the door, ‘I’ve got something to show you.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Anne said before they walked down the hall and into the ring where Mr. O’Brien was waiting.</p><p>‘Who is <em>that</em>??’ he asked when he saw Anne.</p><p>‘Fredrick O’Brien, I would like you to meet Anne Wheeler’, Phillip replied.</p><p>‘You call <em>her </em>your “girlfriend”?’ Fredrick asked, ‘How preposterous!’</p><p>‘What does <em>that </em>mean?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘You can’t be seen with her in public!’ Frederick replied, ‘Let’s just say…the reactions from people wouldn’t be the best; they’d tarnish your reputation. And if the press found out…’</p><p>‘I don’t care what people have to say or how they look at us!’ Phillip said, ‘The only thing that matters is that we’re together!’</p><p>‘Suit yourself then’, Fredrick said, ‘Just don’t be surprised if people start to laugh at you.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Anyway’, Frederick said to Anne, ‘You look familiar, like I’ve seen you somewhere before.’</p><p>‘Uh…Phillip?’ Anne asked, ‘I need to have a word with you in the hall.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip said before they walked up the hall, ‘We’ll be back in a few minutes, Mr. O’Brien.’</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>End of Part 26.</strong>
</p><p>‘I cannot believe that you are acquainted with Mr. O’Brien!’ Anne said, ‘He was a monster in his day!’</p><p>‘How come?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘You’ve forgotten, haven’t you’, Anne replied when she facepalmed, ‘He was my mother’s boss on the farm in South Carolina!’</p><p>‘Now I remember’, Phillip said, ‘I went to have dinner there a few years ago.’</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, W.D had just walked into the ring when he saw that Mr. O’ Brien was sitting in the stands.</p><p>‘Oh no’, he thought before he proceeded to return up the hall, ‘I’ve got to warn Anne!’</p><p>However, Mr. O’Brien noticed a figure moving out the corner of his eye and immediately looked up, which is when he realised who it was.</p><p>‘You…’ he said, ‘I feel like we may know each other somehow…’</p><p>‘No, sir. You must have mistaken me for someone else’, W.D said before disappearing up the hall.</p><p> </p><p>‘Anne!’ he said as he approached her, ‘It’s unbelievable! I just saw Fredrick O’Brien in the stands!’</p><p>‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘I know that he’s here too. Speaking of him, I just found something out from Phillip that is shocking.’</p><p>‘Well, what is it?’ W.D asked.</p><p>‘I and Mr. O’Brien are old friends’, Phillip replied.</p><p>‘What??’ W.D asked in shock, ‘You were associated with <strong><em>him</em></strong>?’</p><p>‘Um…well, yes’, Phillip replied, ‘But we haven’t seen each other for years now.’</p><p> </p><p>‘I can’t believe this, Anne’, W.D said, ‘Phillip was a friend of that monster out there.’</p><p>‘I know’, Anne said, ‘I was utterly shocked when he told me a few minutes ago. However, he looks like he may have changed from his old ways.’</p><p>‘Perhaps you are right’, W.D said, ‘We should at least go and introduce ourselves…again, or I should anyway.’</p><p>‘Ok then’, Phillip said as they walked down the hall.</p><p> </p><p>‘Mr. O’Brien’, Phillip said, ‘I’d like you to meet W.D Wheeler.’</p><p>‘Oh, now I remember’, Mr. O’ Brien said, ‘You were that brother-and-sister duo from all those years ago.’</p><p>‘Yes’, W.D said, ‘I remember a certain time all too well; Christmas Day 1846.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Mr. O’ Brien said, ‘But, times have changed since then, and I deeply regret what happened during those years.’</p><p> </p><p>‘See? I told you that he may have changed’, Anne said.</p><p>‘I suppose you’re right’, W.D said, ‘Those dark and terrible times are better left to be forgiven for and forgotten.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘Besides, we have the circus family now.’</p><p>‘Not to mention that we’re together’, Phillip said, ‘And by the way we’re going now, the family will be increasing in size pretty soon, hopefully.’</p><p>‘What??’ Anne said, ‘You mean that…’</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip said.</p><p>It was then that a pair of ducks with two ducklings waddled through the entrance and into the ring.</p><p>‘Look at the ducklings, Anne’, Phillip said, ‘Aren’t they cute?’</p><p>‘Yes, they sure are’, Anne said, ‘I believe that two would be enough for us also.’</p><p>‘I agree’, Phillip said, ‘One for you and one for me.’</p><p>‘I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see what The Stork brings us in due time’, Anne said.</p><p> </p><p>‘Anyway, time for our guests to go’, Phillip said before ushering them outside.</p><p> </p><p>‘Now, since Mr. O’Brien is gone, what did you mean when you talked about Christmas Day 1846?’ he asked.</p><p>‘It was a terrible day for us and Mum, especially me’, W.D said.</p><p> </p><p>‘It all started at 12:00 p.m., W.D said, ‘Mum had just finished setting the long table in the dining room in Mr. O’ Brien’s house when the guests started to arrive.’</p><p>
  <em>‘I can’t have my guests see you around here, Ethel’, he said as he opened the back door, ‘Besides, there’s snow to clear from the gutters before they collapse under the weight.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Outside on the porch, W.D and Anne were huddled together trying to keep warm, since they and Ethel weren’t allowed inside where there was a large fireplace. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Man’, W.D said, ‘I wish we could be inside where it’s warm; it’s freezing out here.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I know’, Ethel said, ‘But we aren’t allowed inside when guests come over, and I need to go and rid the gutters of snow.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Yoo-hoo’, Anne’s father said when he appeared from around the corner and gave Anne and W.D a blanket, ‘I managed to sneak this out for you to keep warm.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Thanks’, Fred Jr.’, W.D said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Thanks, Father’, Anne said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘No problem, kids’, Fred Jr. said before he went back inside, ‘Stay warm.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>An hour later…</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Marcus!’ a woman shouted as she rushed through the front door and picked a small boy up, ‘You know you’re not allowed out here in this weather without your beanie and gloves!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘But…’ Marcus began.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘What have I and your father taught you, young man?’ the mother said, ‘A well-behaved child <strong>never </strong>speaks back!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>During this commotion, Marcus dropped a small piece of cake onto the porch.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘My cake!’ he screamed before he burst into tears.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘A young man doesn’t cry and scream either!’ the mother said before she slapped him, ‘Come on, we’ll get you another slice.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Look, Anne’, W.D said when he picked the piece of cake up, ‘This must be our lucky day!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘We can divide it into thirds and share it with Mum’, Anne said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Mum’ W.D said, ‘I found this piece of Christmas cake that someone had dropped on the porch outside the front door. I was thinking we could divide it into thirds to share.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘So delicious!’ Anne said, ‘I’d never had anything like it before!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Us neither’, Ethel and W.D said.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>It was then that W.D noticed that the front door was slightly open, so he decided to quietly sneak through the gap in search for more sugar-laden treats. Once inside, he saw people gathered in the living room handing out and opening presents around the fireplace.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I wish that was us’, he thought as he watched, albeit out of sight.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, so he ducked into the kitchen to hide.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Phew!’ he thought when the sound faded away, ‘That was close! Now, where would the…’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He turned around and saw a table full of Christmas treats, ranging from gingerbread to cake to fruit pies and everything else in between.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Goodness’, he thought’, ‘I’m in heaven here!’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘I think that’s enough’, he thought after he had stuffed his pockets full of food, ‘Time to go and share with Mum and Anne.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>However, when he turned around, he saw Mr. O’Brien standing in the doorway with an angry look on his face.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘What are <strong>you </strong>doing in here?’ he asked in an unsettling voice as he grabbed a broom from under the stairs.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘No, please sir’, W.D replied nervously as he backed up against a wall, ‘I’ll put everything back, I promise.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Half a second later, he made a run for it towards the hallway.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Oh no you don’t, little scamp!’ Mr. O’ Brien shouted before he gave chase through the front door and around the corner of the house.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Mum!’ he said, ‘I was caught inside and he’s coming this way.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Right’, Ethel said, ‘You and Anne go behind me, and I’ll take care of this.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Ok’, W.D said as he pulled Anne behind her.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘It was then that Mr. O’ Brien appeared from around the corner, only to be greeted by Ethel standing protectively between him, W.D and Anne.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Hello, Mr. O’ Brien’, she said while staring directly into his eyes, although it was strictly forbidden, ‘You’ll have to go through me before you lay a <strong>finger</strong> on my son!’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>During the next few seconds, they stared at each other angrily.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘This isn’t over, Ethel!’ Mr. O’ Brien said as he walked away, fuming, ‘I’ll be back tonight, and you’ll all be sorry!’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘What’s going to happen tonight?’ W.D asked, ‘He said he’ll be back to “finish this off”.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I know’, Ethel said, ‘It can only mean one thing…’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘You don’t mean the…oh, no, not again!’ W.D said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I’m afraid so’, Ethel said, ‘Especially for staring at him like that.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>At 9:00 that night, Mr. O’ Brien slammed the front door and walked toward Ethel.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘You’re coming with me!’ he said as he pulled her behind the house.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Mum!’ W.D and Anne shouted when they heard screaming, which was when Fred Jr. approached them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Don’t worry’, he said, ‘You’re safe with me as long as you stay back.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘But he’s killing her around there!’ W.D said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I’ll just have a check around there’, Fred Jr. said, ‘It wouldn’t be wise for you to see anything.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Ok’, W.D and Anne said.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>He walked around the corner and approached his father, who had just finished up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Never, and I mean <strong>never</strong> stare at me again, Ethel!’ Mr O’ Brien shouted, ‘Or you’ll receive another one, understand!?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Yes, sir’, Ethel said nervously.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Good’, Mr. O’ Brien said before he walked away, ‘See you tomorrow.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘More like “See you next Tuesday”’, Ethel thought.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Mum!’ W.D and Anne shouted when they saw that she was covered in bruises, ‘What did he do to you?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I know this looks bad’, Ethel said, ‘But I have witnessed far worse…’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I think I know what you are referring to’, W.D said, ‘It happened on the plantation in Louisiana a couple of weeks before Mr. O’ Brien purchased us.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Yes’, Ethel said, ‘One of our friends there got beaten so badly that she ended up dying the next day due to her injuries.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I hope these times of inhumane treatment will end one day’, W.D said.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I do too’, Ethel said, ‘But I don’t think we’ll be alive to see it happen.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>‘Later that day, Anne was in the Animal Training Area watching the lions being taught how to balance on giant balls in preparation for that night’s show.</p><p>‘Nice work, Leo and Simba’, the lion tamer said when they jumped to the ground, ‘Let’s try that again.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Good afternoon, Anne’, Phillip said as he walked towards her, ‘Leo and Simba are amazing, aren’t they?’</p><p>‘You can say that again’, Anne said, ‘I’ve been watching for over an hour while they’ve perfected balancing.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip said, ‘The crowd will love their performance tonight.’</p><p> </p><p>Approximately half an hour after the crowds had left, Mr. O’Brien noticed something unusual.</p><p>‘Phillip, I notice that there is a faint circular mark on one of your fingers which looks like a burn or something’, he said.</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip said, ‘I was severely burned in a fire last year that destroyed our original building.’</p><p>‘And it’s all because he ran into the building to save me, even though I’d made it out safely through the back door’, Anne said.</p><p>‘Anyway, my finger has lost all feeling and had it’s print burned off’, Phillip said, ‘You never, ever want to know what it feels like to be burned in a fire.’</p><p>‘Exactly’, Anne said, ‘It was painful enough for me to see him in such a terrible state in the hospital until he woke up a few days later…’</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>‘Guys!’ Julian said at midday the next day when he burst into the ring, ‘I can’t find Phillip anywhere!’</p><p>‘Is he not in his room?’ Lettie said, ‘Because that’s where he normally is when there’s nothing to do.’</p><p>‘No’, Julian said, ‘The door is wide open, going by when I walked past five minutes ago.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Wait a minute!’ W.D said, ‘I haven’t seen Anne since around 10:00 this morning.’</p><p>‘Come to think of it, no-one has’, Lettie said.</p><p>‘Hm…’ Julian said, ‘Phillip disappeared approximately two hours ago as well.’</p><p> </p><p>It was then that W.D realised something.</p><p>‘Hm…’ he said, ‘Going by what you’ve just said, I think I may know what’s going on…’</p><p>‘What do you mean?’ Julian asked.</p><p>‘We better go and start looking for them’, W.D replied, ‘By the way they have interacted with each other in the past, things could get serious very quickly…’</p><p>‘Yes, I know what you mean’, Julian said after a pause in response to what he had just said.</p><p>‘I also believe I know where they are’, W.D said, ‘Follow me up the hall and outside.’</p><p>‘Yes’, everyone, including the Ninja (Randy) and Howard, followed him through the hall and out the back door.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Meanwhile, in the Animal Training area…</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>‘Phillip’, Anne said, ‘I hear voices outside. You did close the door securely, didn’t you?’</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip replied, ‘We don’t want anyone coming in accidentally now, do we.’</p><p>‘Absolutely not’, Anne said, ‘It would be awkward for all of us.’</p><p>As soon as she had stopped talking, Phillip recognised one of the voices outside.</p><p>‘Oh, my goodness’, he said as he started to straighten his clothes, ‘That’s W.D!’</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>On the other side of the door…</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>‘I know you’re in there, Phillip!’ W.D said, ‘I want to have a word with you!’</p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip said from inside, ‘You can open the door now.’</p><p>‘Right’, W.D said as he pushed the door open, ‘Have you seen…’</p><p>‘Are you looking for me?’ Anne asked.</p><p>‘Anne?’ W.D said, ‘Oh, thank goodness you’re safe!’</p><p> </p><p>He then noticed that the bottom of Phillip’s shirt was slightly creased up, which was out of the ordinary for him.</p><p>‘What were you doing with Anne in here?’ W.D asked when he pinned him against the wall.</p><p>‘Nothing, I swear!’ Phillip replied.</p><p>‘Oh yeah?’ W.D said, ‘Then why is your shirt messed up?’</p><p>‘Uh, well…’ Phillip said while looking around uncomfortably, ‘I tripped over one of the benches at the back of the room and fell over, messing my shirt up.’</p><p>‘Hm…’ W.D said, ‘Seems like a plausible story…’</p><p>‘Thank goodness’, Phillip thought.</p><p>‘EXCEPT IT ISN’T!’ W.D shouted, causing Phillip to jump, ‘Especially since you were alone in here for over TWO HOURS with Anne!!’</p><p>‘Yeah’, Randy (as the Ninja) said as he entered the room, ‘How do you explain that, ringmaster?’</p><p>‘Ha! Ringmaster!’ Howard shouted from outside in a fit of laughter.</p><p>‘It’s <strong>not</strong> funny, Howard!’ Randy shouted through the door, ‘Not this time!’</p><p>‘Eh-heh’, Howard said with a big, toothy grin on his face while facing the rest of the troupe, ‘He’s in a bit of a mood today, isn’t he?’</p><p>In response to his stupidity, Lettie shook her head in disbelief.</p><p>‘You need help’, she said, ‘Both of you do desperately.’</p><p> </p><p>‘I knew it!’ W.D said, ‘You can’t tell me what you were really doing because that would be too embarrassing, wouldn’t it!?’</p><p>‘What??’ Phillip said, ‘You…you’re not suggesting that we…’</p><p>‘Well, all the evidence I’ve seen supports that possibility greatly’, W.D said, ‘Anyway, it’s time to leave this dirty old barn of a place.’</p><p>‘Guys’, Lettie said through the door, ‘P.T is here to see what’s going on.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Good afternoon, W.D’, P.T said as he walked in, ‘I heard shouting in here.’</p><p>‘Oh’, W.D said, ‘That was in response to me catching Phillip and Anne alone in here.’</p><p>‘Phillip…’, P.T said, ‘We’ve been over this before; don’t take Anne off someplace where you are alone!’</p><p>‘Sorry, P.T’, Phillip said, ‘It won’t happen again.’</p><p>‘It’s just that I can’t risk one of the trapeze artists falling pregnant before her time’, P.T said, ‘It doesn’t matter how in love you are; just keep it pure, that’s all.’</p><p>‘Yes, P.T’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘Good’, P.T said, ‘Anyway, you should go and clean up, and I need to return home to send a telegram to a cousin in Los Angeles. See you later.’</p><p>‘Goodbye’, Phillip said as he walked away.</p><p> </p><p>‘Hm…’ W.D said as everyone returned to the ring, ‘Looks like we’ll all be keeping a closer eye on you from now on.’</p><p>‘I suppose you’re right in doing that’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘I suppose you’ll be giving up on your…um, “little pleasures” then’, Lettie said.</p><p>‘There ain’t no way I’m giving up role as ringmaster!’ Phillip said while looking at Anne.</p><p>‘Going by the way you said that, Phillip, it sounds like you still hope to become a master of “something else”’, Randy said.</p><p>‘Well, I and everyone else will make sure that doesn’t happen for a long time yet!’ W.D said.</p><p> </p><p>‘Randy!’ Juggo said when he ran into the ring, ‘I just…’</p><p>‘Randy?’ everyone asked, ‘Who’s that?’</p><p>‘Um, well…’ Randy said, ‘It’s a nickname that everyone in Norrisville calls the Ninja.’</p><p>‘Oh’, everyone said, ‘Anyway, Juggo, what were you going to say?’</p><p>‘Ah, yes’, Juggo said, ‘I just heard that P.T was here.’</p><p>‘Well, you’ve just missed him’, Lettie said, ‘He needed to return home to send a telegram across the country to a cousin in Los Angeles.’</p><p>‘What?’ Juggo said when he realised what this meant, ‘But you need to know Morse Code to do that.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Lettie said, ‘He started learning it as a child and is now fluent in it.’</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Later that day, Phillip had a flashback of that embarrassing night five months ago in the bar.</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Lettie?’ he asked while slurring his words very obviously, ‘Do you think I could dance…on the table?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Sure’, Lettie replied in an intoxicated state.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Ok then’, Phillip said as he just barely managed to climb onto the table using a chair.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Right’, Anne said when she walked in, ‘Have I missed anything?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Phillip’s dancing…on the table’, Lettie said as she and everyone else watched on.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Phillip!’ Anne shouted, ‘What are you doing up there?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Who are you?’ Phillip asked, ‘I’ve never seen you before in my life.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Oh my’, Anne replied, ‘You’ve got yourself completely wasted again, haven’t you?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Isn’t life fun?’ Lettie asked the bartender on the other side of the bar, who just shrugged without saying a word.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>It was then that disaster struck when Phillip attempted to do the grapevine.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>THUD!!</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Phillip!’ Anne shouted as she ran up to him, who was now in a heap on the floor, ‘Are you alright?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘What’s happened?’ P.T asked when he ran over from the opposite side of the room, ‘I heard a thud.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘That was Phillip falling off the table’, Anne said, ‘He was attempting to do the grapevine and slipped.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Okay’, P.T said, ‘I’ll go and call an ambulance.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Thirty minutes later…</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘This is taking forever’, P.T said, ‘They said they’d be here in approximately five minutes, not half a fucking hour!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In response to what he had just said, the entire troupe and bartender stared at him.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘P.T!’ W.D said, ‘I never thought you would use such language!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘What if Charity or the girls found out?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I didn’t mean to’, P.T said, ‘Some things just slip out when you’re under stress, and Phillip falling off the table <strong>is</strong> stressful…not to mention that the damn ambulance is late…by twenty-five minutes!!’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>‘Do you remember when I had a fear of stepping into the ring?’ W.D asked Phillip.</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip replied, ‘You also hated the cheering audience. However, with help and encouragement from everybody over the past seven months or so, you’ve completely overcome it.’</p><p>‘It’s just that that fear originated when I was seven’, W.D said, ‘I and Mum were taken from our then-home, a plantation in Louisiana, to a marketplace. However, it wasn’t just any marketplace…’</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘There!’ a man said while W.D and Ethel were chained onto a wagon, ‘Time to go!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Where are we going?’ W.D asked as the wagon began moving down the dusty road.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I have no idea’, Ethel replied, ‘But wherever it is, it doesn’t sound good.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I know’, W.D said, ‘We didn’t even get to say goodbye to anyone.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Would you two shut up back there!?’ the driver shouted angrily, ‘You’ll cause an accident otherwise!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Better do what he says’, Ethel whispered, ‘Especially after what happened to Polly a couple of weeks ago.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Yes’, W.D said, ‘Her death was especially sad given the circumstances.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘And they just replaced her like she didn’t even exist’, Ethel whispered.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>When the wagon arrived at its destination an hour later, W.D and Ethel were forcibly separated and taken to two different buildings in the marketplace.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Mum!’ W.D shouted as he was dragged off by a shady-looking man with a moustache and bushy eyebrows.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Son!’ Ethel cried out before she was dragged to another building by two tall men.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was then that reality set in for her; this was the day when they were going to be sold!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Approximately two hours later, Ethel was guided out of a circular arena where she had just been purchased by a man named Fredrick O’Brien, when W.D was dragged in.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Mum!’ he shouted as he was dragged away.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Goodbye, son’, Ethel thought with tears in her eyes.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>A few minutes later, there were only two people interested in the auction, Mr. O’ Brien and Mr. Higgins.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Prepare to lose, Mr. Higgins’, Mr. O’ Brien said, ‘I’m of higher status than you and will do anything to get what I came here for today.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Both kept outbidding each other for ten minutes in the scorching heat of the midday sun, until Mr. O’ Brien decided to add a single cent to his last bid.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Sold to Mr. O’ Brien for $50.01!’ the auctioneer shouted as W.D was guided out of the arena.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Mum!’ W.D said when he gave her a hug, ‘We’re going to be together!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Yes’, Ethel said, ‘We sure are.’</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At 10:00 the next morning, Phillip noticed that Anne was holding a small bowl.</p><p>‘Good morning Anne’, he said, ‘Is everything alright?’</p><p>‘I must have eaten something last night that caused me to vomit.’</p><p>‘But what about the show tonight?’ Phillip asked.</p><p>‘Don’t worry’, Anne replied, ‘I’m sure that this will have passed long before then.’</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Later that day...</strong>
</p><p> </p><p> ‘Hm...’ W.D thought when he saw a trio of dirty bowls in their room, ‘Phillip...’</p><p>Meanwhile, Phillip was heading towards the ring when W.D met him in the hall.</p><p>‘Phillip, I want to ask you about the bowls in our room’, he said.</p><p>‘Oh’, Phillip said, ‘Anne’s just got a stomach bug, that’s all. She’ll be fine by tonight.’</p><p>‘Hm...are you sure? That nothing else happened? As in <em>absolutely nothing </em>else?’</p><p>‘Wait a minute!’ Phillip said, ‘What are you suggesting?’</p><p>‘Oh, nothing’, W.D said, ‘EXCEPT FOR THE FACT YOU WERE ALONE IN THE ANIMAL TRAINING AREA!’</p><p> </p><p>‘We were just talking about stuff in there’, Phillip said, ‘Stuff that we didn’t think anyone else should know about.’</p><p>‘Oh?’ W.D asked, ‘And <em>what </em>might that have been?’</p><p>‘Um…’, Phillip replied, desperately trying to think of a believable answer before he hurried down the hall, ‘It was, uh, about…look, I need to go. See you later.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Well, that was weird’, W.D thought as he walked back to the dressing room, ‘A little bit <em>too </em>weird…’</p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>At 1:00 p.m, Randy (as the Ninja) approached Phillip and asked him something.</p><p>‘Phillip’, he said, ‘Could you please follow me to my room? I have something to show you.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip said before they walked up the hall and into the third room on the right.</p><p> </p><p>‘Right’, Phillip said as he closed the door, ‘What do you want to show me?’</p><p>‘You remember a few days ago when Juggo accidentally called me “Randy”, right?’</p><p>‘Yes’, Phillip said.</p><p>‘Well, this will be hard to believe, but that is my real name’, Randy said.</p><p>‘What?’ Phillip asked in shock.</p><p>‘I knew you wouldn’t believe it, so I’ll show you’, Randy replied before he took his mask off, causing a whirlwind of black and red for a few seconds as the suit disappeared, ‘I am Randy Cunningham.’</p><p>‘Let me get this straight’, Phillip said, ‘The Ninja’s real name is Randy Cunningham?’</p><p>‘Yes’, Randy admitted, ‘But you can’t tell <em>anyone</em>, not even Anne.’</p><p>‘I won’t’, Phillip said as Randy put the mask back on.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>At 11:00 the next day…</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>‘Phillip!’ Anne said as she approached him, ‘That vomiting thing was back earlier this morning, so I went to the doctor to have it checked.’</p><p>‘And?’ Phillip asked, ‘What did the doctor say?’</p><p>‘You won’t believe this, but it’s possible that I might be pregnant’, Anne replied.</p><p>‘What??’ Phillip said in shock, ‘This can’t be happening!’</p><p>A second later, he stopped smiling.</p><p>‘Oh no!’ he said.</p><p>‘Phillip, what’s wrong?’ Anne asked.</p><p>‘It’s just that if it’s true, I’m overjoyed’, Phillip replied, ‘But what will happen if it’s discovered? W.D is already suspicious, P.T will fire me, and as for my parents…’</p><p>‘It’s not like they come anywhere near the circus anyway’, Anne said, ‘Seeing how they call it a “toxic dump” of a place. You’re safe from them as long as you stay around here with us.’</p><p>‘I suppose you’re right’, Phillip said, ‘But I feel I have betrayed P.T when he said not to be alone with you.’</p><p>‘You can always tell him what happened when and if it becomes obvious’, Anne said, ‘Besides, the doctor said that I <em>might </em>be pregnant, but they’re not exactly sure yet.’</p><p> </p><p>A few seconds later, W.D opened the door.</p><p>‘Finally, I know what’s been going on, Phillip!’ he said, ‘I heard through the door that Anne might be pregnant.’</p><p>‘What?’ Phillip asked, ‘You were listening through the door?’</p><p> </p><p>‘So, it’s true, then’, Lettie said on the other side of the doorway, ‘You two <em>were </em>up to something.’</p><p>‘The doctor said it was a <em>possibility</em>’, Anne said, ‘And <em>what </em>are you suggesting we got up to in the Animal Training Area?’</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Randy (as the Ninja) walked in to the room.</p><p>‘Guys’, he said, ‘I have something outside to show you.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Phillip, Anne, Lettie and W.D said as they followed him outside.</p><p> </p><p>‘Here it is’, Randy said as they approached a shiny black and red sports car.</p><p>‘That’s one nice looking carriage’, W.D said, ‘What’s it like inside?’</p><p>‘Hop in and you’ll see’, Randy said as he opened one of the McGini’s gull doors.</p><p> </p><p>‘These seats are so comfortable’, W.D said, ‘I’ve never felt this before in my life.’</p><p>‘That’s because they’re leather’, Phillip said, ‘My parents own a lot of leather furniture.’</p><p>‘Anyway, what are these black windows attached to the back of the seats?’ Lettie asked.</p><p>‘Those are for watching movies or playing games’, Randy replied.</p><p>‘Funny’, Lettie said, ‘I thought that you played games outside or on a table, and what’s a movie?’</p><p>‘A movie is a collection of still pictures played together with or without sound’, Randy said.</p><p> </p><p>‘Anyway’, let’s see what this thing can do’, Randy said before the front, side and rear windows closed over and a light on the ceiling came on.</p><p>‘Seatbelts activate’, he said, causing belts to wrap around everyone.</p><p>‘Right’, he said, ‘Let’s go!’</p><p>‘Wait a minute!’ Lettie said, ‘How will you be able to see if there is no front window?’</p><p>‘Simple’, Randy said, ‘The car drives itself until we choose a destination.’</p><p>‘O…k?’ Lettie said in a confused voice.</p><p> </p><p>The oddly-shaped car travelling down the road caused people to stop what they were doing and watch in amazement and terror.</p><p>‘The aliens have invaded!’ a man shouted as he ducked under a table, ‘Everyone take cover!’</p><p>‘Mother, I want one of those things!’ a child said as the car passed them.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, P.T had just left the bar when it passed by with one of the side windows open.</p><p>‘Good afternoon, P.T!’ Lettie shouted when she waved as they disappeared down the road.</p><p>‘I think I need to ease up on the drinks’, P.T thought as he began walking home.</p><p> </p><p>‘Ah’, Phillip said, ‘Looks like my parents have just arrived home. Could we stop here, please?’</p><p>‘Sure’, Randy said before the car stopped.</p><p> </p><p>‘Oh my goodness, Phillip!’ Lindsay Carlyle said in horror, ‘You’ve been abducted by aliens!’</p><p>‘No, I haven’t, mother’, Phillip said as the door opened, revealing who was inside, ‘Mother, Father, I would like you to meet Lettie, W.D and the Ninja.’</p><p>‘And me’, Anne said.</p><p>‘Oh’, Lindsay and Kurt said in a slightly disgusted tone, ‘It is <em>her </em>again…and some of your circus friends as well.’</p><p>‘Not to mention the Ninja’, Kurt said, ‘He’s Norrisville’s hero.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Yes’, Randy said as he stood up, ‘I am the Norrisville Ninja.’</p><p>Ninja’, Phillip said, ‘I would like you to meet my parents, Lindsay and Kurt Carlyle.’</p><p>‘Pleased to meet you both’, Randy said.</p><p>‘It’s an honour to meet you, Ninja’, Lindsay said, ‘We’ve heard legends about you from Norrisvillians who’ve passed through here.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Kurt said, ‘The one that I remember the most was about a pair of evil supernatural beings under the city who possessed, or “stanked”, civilians with either green or pink smoke who you then de-stanked.’</p><p>‘Well, the truth was, that they were…’, Randy said before he realised that they were in a different time period where the Sorcerer and Sorceress still exist, ‘I mean, they are real beings that exist and pose a great threat to Norrisville.’</p><p>‘What are you doing in New York City then?’ Lindsay asked.</p><p>‘Um…’ Randy replied, ‘I’m on holiday, after I agreed with the Sorcerer and Sorceress that there would be no more stanking until I return.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Oh, one more thing’, Kurt said, ‘Is it true that Norrisville was the first Japanese city outside Japan? There have been stories of that as well.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Randy said, ‘It was founded by a ninja named Nomi Norisu in 1209. His eight brothers, along with their parents, were killed by the Sorcerer that year.’</p><p>‘I see’, Lindsay said, ‘I’m so sorry to hear that.’</p><p>‘Anyway’, Randy said as he and Phillip returned to the car, ‘We’ve got to go and prepare for tonight.’</p><p>‘Ok then’, Lindsay said, ‘Goodbye!’</p><p>‘Farewell, Mother!’ Phillip said before the car disappeared down the road.</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Meanwhile, a few metres down the road, P.T was standing under a tree, wondering if the car he had seen earlier had actually existed.</p><p>‘Hm…’ he thought just as the car stopped at the side of the road in front of him, ‘I wonder if…’</p><p>‘Wonder if what?’ Phillip asked out of the open front passenger-side window.</p><p>‘What the..?’ P.T asked, ‘What is that machine you’re in?’</p><p>‘This is a car’, Phillip replied, ‘It’s an advanced type of carriage.’</p><p>‘How come it has no horses pulling it or steam coming out?’ P.T asked.</p><p>‘That’s because it runs on electricity’, Phillip replied, ‘Basically, it’s a weaker version of lightning.’</p><p>‘I see’, P.T said, ‘How did you come to own it?’</p><p>‘It’s not mine’, Phillip said, ‘It belongs to the Norrisville Ninja.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Yes’, Randy said from the driver’s side, ‘I am the Ninja.’</p><p>‘Ah yes’, P.T said, ‘I’ve heard about you through stories and myths.’</p><p>‘Yes’, Randy said, ‘Now you know that they are true.’</p><p> </p><p>‘Anyway’, Phillip said, we have to head back to the circus to prepare for tonight’s show.’</p><p>‘Ok then’, P.T said, ‘See you later.’</p><p>‘See you’, Phillip said before the car made a U-turn and disappeared down the road.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>At 11:00 the next morning, Anne walked into the room with some important news for Phillip.</p><p>‘I’ve just been to the doctor this morning and they said that it was a false alarm’, she said.</p><p>‘Oh’, Phillip said, ‘Thank goodness for that...’</p><p>‘At least I won’t have to give up trapeze for quite a while yet’, Anne said.</p><p>‘Not to mention that I will not have to explain your absence’, Phillip said.</p><p> </p><p>At 1:30 that afternoon, there was a special visitor for W.D.</p><p>‘Dad?’ W.D asked, ‘Can it really be?’</p><p>‘Son?’ Thomas Wheeler replied, ‘Oh my goodness, it <em>is </em>you!’</p><p>‘You always told me and Mum that you were going to escape someday’, W. D said, ‘So how did you get out?’</p><p>‘It’s a long story’, Thomas said, ‘One day, when I was working in the field, I noticed a hole in the tall brown fence, so I waited until no-one, especially Mr. Wheeler, was looking, crawled through the hole and made a run for it. I made my way through the forest for at least a couple of hours, when I came across a freight train that had stopped for a few minutes since it was running slightly earlier than usual, so I climbed into an open boxcar that was filled with crates and parcels. Suddenly, I heard dogs barking and people shouting, so I hid among the crates to avoid detection.’</p><p>‘How ironic’, W. D said, ‘We ended up stowing away in a boxcar to escape from where we were too.’</p><p>‘Amazing!’, Thomas said, ‘So, where is Ethel? I thought she would have been here to see me.’</p><p> </p><p>W.D’s face sank in response to what had just been said.</p><p>‘Oh’, he said wearily, ‘That’s something that I want to talk about.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Thomas said, ‘Why isn’t she here with you?’</p><p>‘Well, it happened on the night of October 17<sup>th</sup>, 1847’, W.D said with a slight quiver in his voice, ‘I had just climbed into a boxcar when two men on horses approached the train, so I hid behind a box. A few minutes of yelling later, and... BANG!!’</p><p>‘Unbelievable!’ Thomas said in shock, ‘They SHOT her!?’</p><p>‘Tragically, yes’, W.D said on the verge of tears, ‘But at least I still have my younger sister with me.’</p><p>‘You have a sister?’ Thomas asked.</p><p>‘Yes’, W.D replied, ‘I’ll just go and get her.’</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>A few seconds later... </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>‘Anne’, W.D said, ‘There’s someone who I would like you to meet.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Anne said before they walked towards Thomas.</p><p> </p><p>‘Dad, I would like you to meet Anne, my younger sister’, W.D said.</p><p>‘Pleased to meet you, Anne’, Thomas said as they shook hands, ‘So, how did you two end up here?’</p><p>‘Well, the day after the train arrived here in New York, we were accepted into the local orphanage, where we learnt to read and write as well as made lots of new friends’, W.D said.</p><p>‘However’, Anne said, ‘The best thing about being there was that we were able to learn trapeze, thanks to an old rope swing on a tree at first, and then special tutoring every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday.’</p><p> ‘I never thought that my son would come to anything much, especially becoming a trapeze artist in the circus!’ Thomas said, ‘We were never allowed to have any sort of fun on the plantation, although we sometimes incorporated short games into our work, as long as it wasn’t obvious.’</p><p>‘Oh, I almost forgot’, Thomas said to Anne, ‘If you don’t mind me asking, where were you born and who is your father?’</p><p>‘I was born on October 17<sup>th</sup> 1842 on the O’Brien farm in South Carolina’, Anne said, ‘As for my father, he was Mum’s boss’ son, Fred Jr.’</p><p>‘I see’, Thomas said, ‘How come you said that he “was” your father?’</p><p>‘Oh’, Anne said with tears in her eyes as she remembered the night of October 17<sup>th</sup>, 1847, which was ironically her 5<sup>th</sup> birthday, ‘I’ll let W.D explain.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Thomas said.</p><p>‘You see, he was the one who set us free by sneaking us off the property while the O’Briens were asleep that night. After passing through the big front gates, we waited alongside the tracks for the train I mentioned earlier; as it was passing through a quarter of an hour later, he threw a small rock at one of the windows, causing it to shatter and the train to stop, so I and Anne climbed on. A few minutes later, he was dead…shot just like Mum’, W.D said.</p><p>‘Gosh, that must have been tough’, Thomas said, ‘You not only lost your mother, but the man who got you out as well, not to mention he was Anne’s father, so the loss is twice as much for her.’</p><p>‘Obviously, our lives were negatively and permanently scarred by what happened that night’, Anne said, ‘However, I always have been somewhat aware that they’re still alive somewhere, thanks to these dreams I have at least once a week in which they tell me different things.’</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>A few seconds later…</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>‘Anne’, Phillip said as he ran towards her, ‘Don’t forget about your new hairpiece for the show tonight!’</p><p>‘Who is this?’ Thomas asked.</p><p>‘This is Phillip Carlyle’, Anne replied, ‘He’s the ringmaster.’</p><p>‘Not to mention your man’, Phillip said.</p><p>Thomas became a bit nervous upon hearing the word ‘master.’</p><p>‘P…pleased to m…meet y…you, s…sir, I mean, Mr. C…Carlyle, I mean, P…Phillip’, he said.</p><p>‘There’s no need to be nervous, Dad’, W.D said, ‘All of that was abolished years ago across the country.’</p><p>‘I suppose you’re right about moving on with life’, Thomas said, ‘It’s just that I tense up a bit whenever I hear the word “master”.’</p><p> </p><p>‘So, where do you now live?’ W.D asked.</p><p>‘Ever since I’ve been free, I was in hiding in California until I finally settled in Oregon a couple of years ago’, Thomas replied.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While everyone was sleeping through the night, Phillip was having a strange dream.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>‘No matter how much I try. I’ll <strong>never </strong>be able to stop watching your rehearsals, Anne’, Phillip said, ‘You’re absolutely amazing up there!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Thanks, Phillip’, Anne said before she realised that there was no-one else around, since they were at the bar.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Guess what?’ she said as she descended to the ground, ‘It seems we’re alone in here!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘You mean we have the whole place to ourselves until everyone else returns?’ Phillip asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Yes’, Anne replied, ‘As long as we don’t disturb the animals, we’ll be fine.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘It’s not like they can tell anyone what happens’, Phillip said.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Speaking of being alone’, Anne said, ‘How’s about I show you the new routine I came up with?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Ok’, Phillip said, ‘But shouldn’t you go over it with W.D first?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘This is a solo routine’, Anne said, ‘No-one needs to know about it.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Ok’</em>
  <em>, Phillip said, </em>
  <em>‘</em>
  <em>Show it to me then.</em>
  <em>’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘</em>
  <em>Oh, I</em>
  <em>’</em>
  <em>ll definitely be showing <strong>it </strong>to you, all right</em>
  <em>’</em>
  <em>, Anne said seductively as she walked over to a pole that had somehow appeared in the left-hand ring, </em>
  <em>‘</em>
  <em>Just wait and see.</em>
  <em>’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘H...how did that pole get there?’ Phillip asked. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Never mind that’, Anne replied as she started removing her costume. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘G...goodness me, Anne!’ Phillip said as something happened down below, ‘You’re a part-time snake charmer!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Good’, Anne said, ‘Because I can feel it rising inside me too.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Both of them looked at each other for a few seconds until they gave in to desire.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Give it to me, baby!’ Phillip said as he pinned her against one of the walls in the hall and removed his shirt and trousers. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Let’s do it, Phillip’, Anne said, ‘Pass me the baton.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Yes, my love’, Phillip said before continuing what they were doing.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Forty-five minutes later…</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Finally’, Lettie said as she and the rest of the troupe walked into the main part of the tent, ‘That was some party.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Hey’, W.D said when he picked up Phillip’s shirt off the floor, ‘What is this doing here?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Come to think of it’, Lettie said, ‘There’s a pile of clothes at the door to the hall for some reason.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Suddenly, they heard giggling on the other side of the door.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Come to think of it’, W.D said, ‘Phillip and Anne weren’t at the bar with us.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Hm…’ Lettie said, ‘I think we should open the door to check if they’re behind there.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I believe you’re right’, W.D said before he slowly opened the door.</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Goodness!’ Phillip said when he heard the doorknob turn, ‘Everyone’s back!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Right’, Anne said as she covered herself up with a towel, ‘Better cover yourself to avoid embarrassment.’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘AHA!’ W.D said when the door burst open, revealing Anne and Phillip in a compromising position against the wall, albeit fully covered with towels, ‘I <strong>knew </strong>that this would happen if you two were alone!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Yes’, Lettie said, ‘You’re lucky that P.T isn’t here, or he would have had quite a few things to say to you, Phillip!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘We were just talking in here!’ Phillip said in defence, although he and Anne had a tell-tale glow on their skin, ‘What do you think we were doing?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Don’t be a flopdoodle, Phillip!’ W.D said, ‘I found your shirt in the middle of the main ring when we returned!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Not to mention the rest of your and Anne’s clothes were piled up outside the door!’ Lettie said, ‘We also heard you two giggling back here!’ </em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Oh, well then’, Phillip said, ‘Would you believe that we were telling each other jokes?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Do you think that all of us are idiots?’ Lettie said, ‘It should be visually obvious that you two were probably up to no good while we were gone.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘For starters, no, I don’t believe that you are idiots at all, and secondly, what do you mean about it being obvious?’ Phillip asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Oh my’, Lettie replied as she facepalmed, ‘You two are glowing slightly, and I think we all know what that means…’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘It means we’re glowing with health’, Phillip answered pathetically.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Firstly, that was an appalling pun’, W.D said, ‘Secondly, you don’t literally glow like <strong>that </strong>when you’re in good health!’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I give up’, Phillip said, ‘You caught us doing something we weren’t supposed to be doing. Please just go and tell P.T to fire us.’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘But who would be the new ringmaster?’ Lettie asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I’m sure he’d find someone who’s more competent than a failed playwright like me’, Phillip replied disappointedly.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Also, he can’t fire my sister, unless I’m fired too!’ W.D said, ‘Besides, who would take over from us? It just wouldn’t be the same…’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>‘Oh, and one more question’, Phillip said, ‘What did you mean when you said that we had probably been up to no good, Lettie?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Oh’, Lettie said before the rest of the troupe joined her in explaining, ‘Going by finding your clothes outside the door and the fact your skin is glowing, we suspect that you were having…’</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Suddenly, Lettie burst into Phillip’s room, since he had overslept well into the next day.</p><p>‘Phillip, wake up!’ she said, ‘We have a show starting in fifteen minutes!’</p><p>‘AHHH!’ Phillip screamed as his eyes sprang open and he half-fell out of bed, ‘Is it really 1:10 already?’</p><p>‘Yes’, Lettie said, ‘We were gathered in the ring wondering where you were for hours until I decided to check in here.’</p><p>‘Well, thanks for waking me’, Phillip said as he prepared to get dressed, ‘I need a bit of privacy so I can get ready.’</p><p>‘Ok’, Lettie said before she walked out and closed the door.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>That afternoon did not go well at all for Phillip. Firstly, he had been unable to welcome the audience and introduce the first act, thanks to not being able to find his shirt among the mess.</p><p>‘Come on, stupid damn buttons!’ he said as he fought to get the tiny circles of material through the holes.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Five long minutes later…</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>‘Finally’, he thought when he put on his coat and hat after quickly freshening-up at the basin, ‘Time to go.’</p><p>He raced down the hall and through the door, where the most humiliating thing happened; he was in such a hurry to take his place in front of the main ring that he tripped over one of the sides, causing the audience to erupt with laughter as if they were watching a stand-up comedian on stage.</p><p> </p><p>‘Phillip!’ Anne said as she ran over to him, ‘Are you alright?’</p><p>‘I think so…’ Phillip said when he stood up, only to notice that the left-hand sleeve of his coat was ripped slightly.</p><p>‘Oh no’, he said, ‘We’ll have to get this fixed.’</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, some members of the audience began booing and throwing eggs and overripe tomatoes at the performers.</p><p>‘Boo!’ they shouted, ‘We came here expecting to be entertained, but all we see is a cheap domestic drama? Shame on you all and this dump!’</p><p>Over the next few minutes, they left through the main entrance.</p><p> </p><p>‘Look at all this mess!’ W.D said, referring to the stains left by the eggs, tomatoes and even a raw beef steak that had bounced against the back wall and landed in the middle of the ring, leaving a bloody red trail in its wake.</p><p> </p><p>‘What the heck happened here?’ P.T asked when he burst through the main entrance and saw the mess.</p><p>‘I tripped over and the audience started throwing eggs and other things at the performers before they all left’, Phillip replied, ‘I also ended up ripping the left-hand sleeve of the coat slightly, so it will have to be repaired.’</p><p>‘When will people learn that they should <em>never </em>waste good food like this?’ P.T said in disbelief, ‘Especially when there are starving people who can’t afford anything, like I used to be for a brief time.’</p><p>‘We know just how you feel’, Anne and W.D said, ‘Anyway, this place will have to be cleaned up.’</p><p>‘Oh, and one more thing’, Lettie said as she handed P.T a piece of paper, ‘The person who hurled the beef steak at me also left this short message for you. However, it’s in Morse Code, so I can’t read it.’</p><p>‘Thanks’, P.T said.</p><p> </p><p>“--. ---  ..-. ..- -.-. -.-  -.-- --- ..- .-. ... . .-.. ...- . ... --..--  .- .-.. .-..  --- ..-.  -.-- --- ..- -.-.--”  (Go fuck yourselves, all of you!) the message read.</p><p> </p><p>‘This is outrageous!’ he said, ‘Firstly, they trash my tent by throwing food around, and then one of them had the cheek to leave <strong>this </strong>obscene message for me to find?’</p><p>‘Um…well, yes’, Lettie said, ‘They also said they’ll never set foot in the “trash-heap” again.’</p><p>‘Well, I hope they meant it, because they’ve been officially trespassed starting from now’, P.T said.</p><p>
  <strong>Later that afternoon…</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>‘Phillip’, Anne said, ‘Why were you so late today?’</p><p>‘Sorry, Anne’, Phillip said, ‘It’s just that I overslept a lot later than usual because of this dream I had.’</p><p>‘What was it about?’ Anne asked.</p><p>‘Well, it was about you’, Phillip replied, ‘You showed me a new routine that you came up with, which ended up being a…um, stripping routine. Next thing you know, we were both in the hall and…’</p><p>It was then that he realised that he had to do something.</p><p>‘Could you please leave?’ he said, ‘I need some time alone.’</p><p>‘Uh…’ Anne said while blushing, ‘Ok.’</p><p>‘Thanks’, Phillip said when he closed the door.</p><p> </p><p>‘Finally’, Phillip said a couple of hours later, ‘Everything looks like new again.’</p><p>‘What should we do with the steak?’ Lettie asked.</p><p> </p><p>‘Just go and throw it to one of the lions for dinner’, Phillip replied.</p>
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